"The President spoke with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany this morning to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest, including crisis resolution in Syria… Both leaders called for international actions to prevent humanitarian crisis in Idlib province," the statement read.
Last week, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said that Washington saw Syrian government’s plans to resume offensive military activities in the Syrian Idlib province, adding that the United States would "respond very strongly" if Damascus uses chemical weapons. In turn, Moscow has warned the west against new reckless moves toward the Middle Eastern country.
The Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said earlier that a group of militants, who have undergone a training by the UK private military company Olive Group, plans to stage rescuing the victims of the planned chemical weapons attack in Syria's western Idlib province.
Idlib province is one of Syria's de-escalation zones and a remaining stronghold of insurgency in the country.
On Sunday, Russian ceasefire monitors in Syria have registered numerous ceasefire violations in 13 locations in the Idlib de-escalation zone.
READ MORE: Pompeo, Lavrov Discuss US Concerns About Possible Military Activity in Idlib
Russia, alongside Iran and Turkey, is a guarantor of the ceasefire regime in Syria. Moscow has also been assisting Damascus both through supporting the struggle against terrorist groups and providing humanitarian aid to the residents of the crisis-torn country.
