By Ben Kerrigan-
Russia must prove its claim that the reported chemical attack in Syria was staged.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has claimed that the chemical attack in Syria was staged by foreign agents. Lavrov claims he has irrefutable proof the attack was staged, but fell short of naming the perpetrators of the alleged staged attack.
The U. S and France are positive the attack was launched by the Syrian government whilst the UK, have said it was ”highly likely” caused by the Syrian government. The trio are strongly contemplating launching a military strike against Syria, but Russia, a strong ally of Syria, has warned of the risk of war such an attack would pose. The White House is conducting an ongoing intelligence investigation, and Independent chemical weapons inspectors are en route to the Eastern Ghouta area to look for evidence. They are expected to arrive on Saturday. iN an interview with Sky News today, Lavrov suggested communication to resolve a potential imminent conflict that could spiral out of control.
”We’re living in 2018 and we have all sort of communication, including Twitter, and we can resolve all the questions like that – just picking up the phone, just sending messages – and I think this is the case which should be resolved through the communication but not through force,” the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson said.
Zakharova reiterated that Russia will protect its people on the ground should missiles start flying. Commenting on the earlier statement by Moscow’s envoy to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, who warned that the Russian military reserves the right to intercept incoming missile and strike launch sites in case of an attack, Zakharova said that the envoy’s words should be understood in the sense that Russia will not abandon its people.
“I would stress one more time and that was the idea of our ambassador in Lebanon as well that Russia will protect its people on the ground. It’s obvious,” Zakharova told Sky News.
I think people in Iraq are still thanking the United States for what they were doing and what they’ve done to their country and so we hope that Syria will have better future.”
“We do not need any sort of appreciation of what we are doing on the ground, what we need is cooperation, similar words but a little bit different,” she said. Russian President Vladimir Putin called for the creation of a broad international coalition against terrorism during his speech at the UN back in 2015, Zakharova reminded, adding that the proposal “is still on the table.”
“We are actually looking forward to closer cooperation with other countries on Syria. We really want and we really need it,” she said.