Sergei Lavrov
Russia will respond adequately and proportionately in the event that the United States implement its threats against Damascus over alleged preparations for a chemical attack. This was stated by Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a press conference with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel, reports “Interfax” on Wednesday, June 28.
“I very much hope that this time the U.S. will be guided by the need to protect the non-proliferation regime of chemical weapons, and not to speculate on imaginary intelligence, which are secret and no they can not show in order to provoke or to create a pretext for fresh attacks on the forces of the Syrian government army, fighting terrorists,” said Lavrov.
The Minister confirmed that during a recent phone conversation, U.S. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson told him that in the country have data about the upcoming Damascus chemical attack. Earlier, Washington had threatened the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that in the event of such attacks he will pay a high price.
In April the city of Khan shaykhun was dumped chemical munitions, which killed 87 people, injured about 200. The Syrian opposition and Western countries accuse the air force attack the government troops. In Damascus said that the army did not use and not to use chemical weapons on the battlefield.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called allegations of use of chemical weapons by the Syrian army provocation. According to the Russian leader, it was done to discredit Assad.