MOSCOW is hopeful that the U.S. government will take efforts to prevent terrorists from using chemical weapons in Syria, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said.

“We are hopeful that the United States will do everything in their power to prevent the use of chemical weapons by terrorists and will act responsibly,” Antonov said.

Antonov pointed out that Russia has warned U.S. officials against conducting strikes in Syria.

The Russian Ambassador expressed concern that the rhetoric around the subject of potential use of chemical weapons by Damascus may be used as a signal for terrorist groups and “pseudo-humanitarian organizations” such as the White Helmets to stage another provocation.

U.S. Special Representative for Syria Jim Jeffrey and Acting Assistant Secretary David Satterfield met with Antonov on Monday to discuss the situation in the Syrian city of Idlib.

Also on Monday, Russia’s Defence Ministry warned that the leader of the Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group, which is affiliated with Jabhat Nusra (banned in Russia), was planning a false-flag chemical attack against civilians in Idlib in order to provoke western nations into retaliating against Damascus.

On Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon told Sputnik that Russian reports of a U.S. military buildup in the Eastern Mediterranean are not true.(Sputnik/NAN)

– Aug. 30, 2018 @ 09:50 GMT |