A Russian diplomat
says Moscow has warned the US against launching strikes on Syria.
MOSCOW, April 10.
/TASS/. Moscow has warned Washington of serious consequences of a possible
strike on Syria if it causes casualties among Russian citizens, Russia’s
Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said on
Tuesday.
"Russia has
warned US representatives, both publicly and via corresponding channels,
including military ones, about serious consequences that might follow possible
strikes [on Syria], if Russian citizens are hurt in such strikes, accidentally
or not," he said in an interview with Euronews.
According to the
Russian diplomat, the United States’ possible strikes after an alleged chemical
attack in Syria’s Douma will be "a response to something that never
happened."
US President Donald
Trump said on Monday he would make a decision on how Washington would respond
to the suspected chemical attack in Syria’s Douma in 24 to 48 hours.
Some non-governmental
organizations, including White Helmets, claim that chemical weapons were used
in Douma, Eastern Ghouta, on April 7. According to the statement uploaded to
the organization’s website on April 8, chlorine bombs were dropped on the city
to kill dozens and poison other local civilians who had to be brought to
hospital.
The Russian Foreign
Ministry dismissed that as fake news. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that
White Helmets were an unreliable source, notorious for disseminating
falsehoods. The Russian center for the reconciliation of conflicting parties on
April 9 examined Douma to find no traces of chemical weapons. Earlier, various
official Russian agencies repeatedly warned that preparations had been underway
in different parts of Syria for provocations and simulations of chemical
attacks that would be blamed on government forces.
Source: ITAR-TASS
11-04-2018
