Putin says Russia has data on new provocations planned against Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said Moscow has data that new provocations are planned in Syria with the aim of putting blame on Damascus for allegedly using chemical weapons.

"We have information from different sources that these provocations - I cannot call them otherwise - are being prepared in other regions of Syria, including in the southern suburbs of Damascus where there are plans to throw some substance and accuse the official Syrian authorities," state agency TASS quoted Putin, as saying.

Putin has called on for a thorough investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria's Idlib province on April 4.

 

"We believe that any incident of this kind should be officially investigated. We plan to turn to the United Nations bodies in The Hague and call on the global community to thoroughly investigate into this incident and make balanced decisions based on the investigation's outcome," he said.

Putin believes that the European countries, who have been anti-Trump, may back U.S.' decision to launch missile strike in Syria, to restore relations with the U.S.

"Everyone wants to restore relations with the Western community after, thanks to the former US administration, many European countries took an anti-Trump stance during the US election campaign," he said.

Putin further said that the political opponents in the U.S. may use the missile strike as an opportunity to attack Trump.

"If something happens, they will put the whole blame on him. I have no doubt about this," he said.

As many as nine civilians, including four children were killed in the United States missile attack on a military airbase in central Syria on Friday.

Washington stated it fired a barrage of 59 cruise missiles at the Shayrat base in response to what President Trump called a 'barbaric' chemical attack on a rebel-held town on Tuesday that he blamed on the Damascus regime.

The U.S. officials said Russian commanders in Syria were informed of the strike beforehand in order to avoid casualties that could prompt a broader crisis.