Russia won’t 'shield anyone’ in chemical probe

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Moscow has no intention to shield anyone responsible for the latest chemical attack in Syria.

Lavrov said Wednesday that a United Nations chemical weapons watchdog must conduct an “objective and unbiased probe” into the chemical attack that killed dozens of people.

Speaking after several hours of talks with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, he said Russia has no intention to “shield anyone.”

But Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s view that the Syrian government wasn’t responsible for the attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in northern Syria.

Moscow has insisted that the civilians who died there were killed by toxic agents released from a rebel chemical arsenal struck by Syrian warplanes.

Earlier, Tillerson said relations between Moscow and Washington are “at a low point” and marked by serious distrust.

Tillerson says the United State is confident in its assessment that Syria used chemical weapons in a bombing last week and alleged that Syria has used such weapons more than 50 times in the past.

Last week’s attack prompted Washington to launch a barrage of Tomahawk missiles on a Syrian air base.