Alwaght- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that the consequences of a new US strike on Syria, the possibility of which was stated by US envoy to UN, will be “very serious”.
Speaking on Tuesday, Lavrov noted that, "If a new strike of this kind takes place, the consequences will be very serious."
The warning came in response to US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley who said on Monday her country was willing to take military action against Syria.
“When the international community consistently fails to act, there are times when states are compelled to take their own action,” Haley told the Security Council, noting that this is one of those times
Russian top diplomat went on to say "Mrs. Haley should understand that it is one thing to irresponsibly exploit the microphone in the UN Security Council and it is another thing when both the Russian and American militaries have communication channels and it is clearly stated via these channels what can be done and what must not be done".
"The US-led coalition knows well about that," the Russian foreign minister said.
Also responding to Nikki Haley's remarks, a top Russian general said his country will respond to a US strike on Syria, targeting any missiles and launchers involved in such an attack, if the lives of Russian servicemen are threatened.
“There are many Russian advisers, representatives of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides and servicemen in Damascus and at Syrian defense facilities,” the RIA news agency quoted head of Russia's General Staff Valery Gerasimov as saying.
He said “the US plans to accuse the Syrian government troops of using chemical weapons, and to provide the world community with the so-called evidence of the alleged mass death of civilians at the hands of the Syrian government” and “Russia supporting it.”
Washington, he said, plans to launch a missile attack on government-held districts of the Syrian capital, Damascus, adding that Moscow has “reliable information about militants preparing to falsify a government chemical attack against civilians.”
According to Gerasimov, the militants have brought a crowd of civilians, including women and children, into Eastern Ghouta from other regions to represent them as victims of the planned chemical attack, while film and satellite video transmitters are already in place.
“This has been confirmed by the discovery of a laboratory for the production of chemical weapons in the village of Aftris, which was liberated from terrorists," Gerasimov said.
The general added, however, that “despite constant attempts by militants to disrupt peace initiatives in Eastern Ghouta, the situation in the suburb of Damascus shows a trend toward stabilization.”
On Monday, Syria’s envoy to the UN Bashar al-Ja’afari also slammed the new US military threats, saying Haley’s comments are aimed at provoking a chemical attack by terrorists and fabricating evidence against Damascus.
