The United Kingdom's new evidence of Moscow's alleged involvement in the poisoning of a former double agent Sergey Skripal in Salisbury once again coincides with a possible chemical attack in Syria, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council on Thursday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2018) The United Kingdom's new evidence of Moscow's alleged involvement in the poisoning of a former double agent Sergey Skripal in Salisbury once again coincides with a possible chemical attack in Syria, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council on Thursday.
"The incident of the 4th of March became a very useful pre-text to unleash anti-Russian hysteria and was used in attempt to undermine our authority as a member of OPCW [Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] on the eve of the staging of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian city of Duma," Nebenzia said. "Today, we are witnessing a similar picture."
The statement by UK Prime Minister Theresa May on September 5 took place ahead of a new political season, Nebenzia added. He pointed out that the situation in Syrian province of Idlib is now the critical topic of discussions because of a provocation that is being prepared there.
Nebenzia added this new episode is just as invented as the previous episodes and offered to provide members of the Council relevant material on the topic of the meeting.
Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said last month that terrorists of the Tahrir al-Sham group (affiliated with the Jabhat Nusra terror organization, banned in Russia) were preparing a provocation in Syria's western Idlib province to accuse Syrian government forces of using chemical weapons against civilians.
Moscow said the possible attack was being coordinated with the western countries. The United States and the United Kingdom refuted these claims, but noted they would stay ready to respond to any violations of the use of chemical weapons.
On April 14, the United States, the United Kingdom and France carried out missile strikes on several targets in Syria in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack in Duma that reportedly took place on April 7. Damascus rejected allegations of its involvement in the use of chemical weapons.
