Britain’s United Nations ambassador denies Russian accusation over alleged chemical attack in Syria

The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday accused Britain of staging a fake chemical attack in a Syrian town outside Damascus, a bold charge vehemently denied by Britain as a “blatant lie”. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, this happened because of information that United States warplanes were headed toward Syria.

A day before a team from the global chemical weapons watchdog was to arrive in Douma, just east of Damascus, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj.

Simultaneously, France’s Leader Emmanuel Macron was quoted stating he has in his possession “proof” that “Syrian authorities targeted private citizens inside Douma using chemical substance weapons” recently.

“There is still a residual element of the Syrian program that is out there”, McKenzie said, adding, “I’m not going to say they’re going to be unable to continue to conduct a chemical attack in the future”. A fact-finding team of inspectors from the worldwide chemical weapons watchdog was in Damascus and had been expected to head to the town of Douma on Saturday, scene of the suspected chemical weapons attack that killed more than 40 people.

Konashenkov said Friday that Britain was “directly involved in the provocation”, but didn’t elaborate or provide evidence.

US President Donald Trump said yesterday he was holding meetings to discuss the crisis in Syria and that a decision would be taken “fairly soon” on threatened missile strikes in response to the suspected poison gas attack on a rebel stronghold.

With Donald Trump weighing strikes on Syria but Moscow warning of “grave repercussions” to any military action, an escalation seems increasingly likely even as analysts play down a direct clash between Russian Federation and the US.

“A pre-designed scenario is being implemented”, Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said on Twitter. He didn’t elaborate or name the state.

Russian Federation has described the reports of a chemical attack as a “provocation” created to justify Western intervention.

Russian Federation deployed its military forces in Syria, showing their allegiance to the Assad regime.

Trump had also said last week that Putin bore responsibility for the “atrocity” in Douma because of his support for the Syrian government.

The Russian leader warned against “ill-considered and unsafe actions. that would have consequences beyond conjecture”.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was in contact with Washington but the atmosphere was alarming. The U.N. Security Council met to debate the strikes, but rejected a Russian resolution calling for condemnation of the “aggression” by the three Western allies.

Previously, U.S. officials said that Russian Federation was jamming U.S. drones in Syria.

As a matter of national security, Trump must speak clearly about why and how Russian Federation is a threat.

At the United Nations meeting, Syrian Ambassador Bashar Jaafari warned that Syria would respond if the U.S. moved against his country.

Russia’s military head has warned that Moscow will target United States sites if the latter puts the former’s personnel at risk. They had been expected to start their investigation into the alleged Douma attack on Saturday.

In the UK, Cabinet ministers said that it was “highly likely” the Assad regime was responsible for the attack and said the use of chemical weapons must not “go unchallenged”. The ministry additionally pointed to previous alleged use of chemicals by the rebels in fighting with Syrian government troops. “The United States, France and the United Kingdom acted after careful evaluation of the facts”.

Nebenzya made his comments as U.S.

Syrians with flags in support of Bashar al Assad, on Umayyad Square in Damascus, April 14, 2018.

Russian Federation has thousands of troops and military advisers in Syria as well as dozens of aircraft at its Hmeimim air base and 10 to 15 warships in the Mediterranean off the coast of Syria.

“We have the proof that chemical weapons – at least chlorine gas – were used by Assad’s regime”, Macron told France’s TF1 television.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members Germany and the Netherlands have said they will not take part in any military action.

“Russia severely condemns the attack on Syria where Russian military are helping the lawful government in the fight with terrorism”, the Kremlin in its first reaction to the strikes. He also said the actions had damaged worldwide relations.

The measures announced by the Treasury Department were also aimed at 17 senior Russian government officials and the state-owned Russian weapons trading company, Rosoboronexport, which has long-standing ties to Syria and its subsidiary, Russian Financial Corporation Bank. Smoke could be seen rising from the northern and eastern edges of the capital.