Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday firmly rejected claims that the Syria regime has used chemical weapons, calling it ‘nonsense’ and demanding proof.
“Syrian Government troops are on the offensive and have surrounded the opposition in several regions. In these conditions, to give a trump card to those who are calling for a military intervention is utter nonsense," Putin told reporters in Vladivostok in response to a question on alleged chemical weapons use by the regime. Vladimir Putin urged President Barack Obama on Saturday not to rush into a decision on striking Syria, but to consider whether strikes would help end the violence and be worth the civilian casualties they would inevitably cause.
Speaking for the first time about the suspected chemical weapons attack on August 21, Putin also questioned whether Syrian Government troops should be held responsible. Putin said he was convinced the suspected chemical attack was a provocation aimed at drawing the US Military into Syria’s civil war, implying he believed the attack was carried out by the Syrian rebels.