Tillerson Blames Russia for Syrian Use of Chemical Weapons

The United States is holding Russia responsible for the chemical attacks against the civilian population that was launched by the Syrian government on its citizens.

Reuters reports that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, during his visit to Poland on Saturday, stated that the U.S. believes Russia as an ally of Syria had the responsibility to stop Syria from using chemical weapons.

“The chemical weapons … are being used to hit the civilian population, the most vulnerable – children inside of Syria. We are holding Russia (responsible) for addressing this. They are (Syria‘s) ally,” Tillerson said on his visit to Poland.

Syria and Russia accused the United States on Wednesday of lying about chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian conflict as a way of derailing efforts to bring an end to the fighting.

Syria’s state-run SANA news agency carried comments from a Foreign Ministry source condemning what it called “lies and allegations” by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Interfax news agency that whenever peace efforts advance, the United States promotes “rigged, unverified reports” of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Those comments came a day after the United States joined its NATO allies in launching a pressure campaign against the use of chemical weapons in Syria while singling out Russia for protecting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

“The recent attacks in East Ghouta raise serious concerns that Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian regime might be continuing its use of chemical weapons against its own people,” Tillerson said at a Paris conference hosted by Le Drian.

Tillerson, along with foreign ministers from France, Germany, and Turkey, were among those who launched the International Partnership Against Impunity for Use of Chemical Weapons on Tuesday. More than two dozen like-minded nations endorsed a political commitment to share information on combating the use of chemical weapons worldwide.