WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Tillerson informed Guterres of the US position during a private meeting at the Department of State last week, the FP reported. The US secretary of state noted that Washington considers defeating Daesh terrorist group its priority in Syria.
At the same time, Tillerson indicated that the US military actions against the forces loyal to the Assad government intend to reach limited tactical goals, such as deterring chemical attacks and protecting coalition forces, according to the report.
Russian officials have repeatedly emphasized that it is not up to Russia to decide the future of the Syrian leadership, adding that the Syrians should themselves decide for themselves.
Last week, the White House issued a statement claiming the US government had allegedly identified preparations for a potential chemical attack by Syrian forces. The statement warned that if Assad conducts a chemical attack on civilians, both "he and his military" would pay a heavy price.
The Kremlin commented on the White House's claim and said that it considers US' threats against Syrian legitimate leadership to be "unacceptable." Damascus also denied the information.
In an interview with Sputnik on April 21, Assad characterized the alleged chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun as a provocation to justify the US strike on Ash Sha’irat. The Syrian leader also warned of the possibility of the new provocations similar to the one in Khan Sheikhoun.
