Kremlin accuses US of reluctance to interact over Syria

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA

The Kremlin accused the U.S. of showing complete reluctance to interact over Syria by launching missile strikes on an Assad regime military base in the country.

"The American side in this way [by firing missiles] demonstrated complete reluctance to somehow interact over Syria and to take into account the interests and concerns of others," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, according to Russian news agency TASS.

Peskov also said removal of Bashar al-Assad would not help resolve the situation in Syria.

He said there was no "alternative" to Geneva and Astana processes to resolve the issue.

The spokesman also said there was no “scheduled meeting” between President Vladimir Putin and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who will visit Moscow on Wednesday to meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Ties between Moscow and Washington became tense after the U.S. fired on Friday 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian military air base American officials believe was used to carry out a deadly chemical attack Tuesday.

However, Russia regarded the U.S. missile strikes on Syria as an "act of aggression" against a sovereign state delivered in violation of international law under a "far-fetched pretext".