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Threats to Use Force Against Syria Is Violation of UN Charter - Moscow

© Sputnik / Vladimir Pesnya / Go to the mediabankThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation building in Moscow
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation building in Moscow - Sputnik International
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Moscow insists for an immediate investigation of the chemical attack in Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"At the highest level, the presidents of the United States and France threatened a tough reaction, with the use of force against Syria. I would like to note that the threat of using force against a UN member state is a gross violation of the charter of this organization," Zakharova said.

"Russia stands for an immediate and objective investigation of the remaining unsubstantiated anti-Syrian accusations by the OPCW. [It] strongly upholds this position in the UN Security Council," Zakharova said during a briefing.

She noted that the Russian military, in coordination with the Syrian government, is ready to provide safe working conditions for experts on the ground.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has not provided Moscow with information confirming the organization's data on casualties in Syria's Douma, Zakharova said.

"We managed to get some sources of information from WHO employees, on the basis of which this statement was made, but they were unable to name the notorious partners from the healthcare sector in the city of Duma who had direct access to the specific area and buildings where the chemical attack allegedly took place," Zakharova said.

"In a similar manner, they were unable to identify exactly which medical institutions were contacted by the 500 affected people. They were also unable to clarify the situation with those who counted the number of those alleged killed and determined diagnoses and causes of deaths," she said.

READ MORE: US Still Assessing Intel on Alleged Douma Chemical Attack — Mattis

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She recalled that Russian military personnel and doctors who visited Douma and did not find traces of a chemical attack, were not listed by the western countries.

Moscow does not seek to escalate the situation in Syria; it hopes for the wisdom of Western countries, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stressed.

Zakharova went on by slamming the US decision to cancel planned bilateral consultations with Russia on humanitarian issues.

"We once again draw your attention to the untrustworthy behavior of the US administration concerning activities in the framework of bilateral dialogue. Another example [of such behavior] is Washington's decision to cancel the Russian-US consultations on cultural and humanitarian issues scheduled for April 11-12," Zakharova said during a press briefing.

Zakharova noted that it was the US part which had initiated the consultations.

Earlier in the day, the French president promised to make a decision on whether or not to strike Syria and assured that Paris would not allow for an "escalation" to take place in the region.

On April 11, Trump tweeted a remark calling for Russia to "get ready" for "nice and new and smart" American missiles in Syria, after an alleged chemical attack by the Syrian government.

On April 7, reports emerged alleging that a chlorine in an attack in Syrian Douma, that killed up to 70 people. The US President Donald Trump has accused Damascus of carrying out the alleged chemical weapons attack.

READ MORE: Russia-US Military Communication Channel in Syria Open — Kremlin

Trump also blamed Russia and Iran for supporting the Syrian President Bashar Assad. The government in Damascus denied all the allegations that it carried out a chemical attack.

In its turn, Moscow said that the goal of the groundless reports about alleged chemical attacks was to provide cover for terrorists and justify the use of military force against Bashar Assad.

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