Boris Johnson 'dismayed' at Russian veto of United Nations resolution

On Wednesday Damascus ally Russian Federation vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution to condemn the attack and push the Syrian government to cooperate with investigators.

China abstained from the April 12 vote, along with Ethiopia and Kazakhstan.

The toxic gas attack on April 4, which killed scores of people including children, prompted a USA cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base and widened a rift between the United States and Russian Federation, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his conflict with rebels and militants fighting to oust him.

Tillerson entered Wednesday's talks facing stiff opposition to his demand that Russian Federation end its support of the Syrian regime following the deadly April 4 chemical weapons attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said there is a "low level of trust" between his country and Russian Federation following a meeting with Vladimir Putin.

"We know they have the expertise".

"Apart from anything else, we believe it's only the regime that has the capability to make such an attack".

Lavrov seemed to speculate that any interference might have been the work of people looking to disturb the U.S. -Russia relationship.

A spokesman for the US -led coalition later denied the claim, saying it had carried out no airstrikes in that area at that time.

In a move that slightly softened the atmosphere, Lavrov said Putin had agreed to restore a U.S. -Russia air safety agreement covering Syria which Moscow suspended in retaliation for the U.S. missile strikes.

Syrian President Bashar Assad said the recent U.S. missile strike on a Syrian airbase did not affect the Syrian army's firepower.

Lavrov also is warning the US and its allies against blaming Assad's government for a deadly chemical attack last week until the United Nations has investigated the attack.

Boris Johnson has urged Russian Federation to stop "acting as a lifeline for Assad's murderous regime" in Syria and instead to "live up to its responsibilities as a global power".

Tensions between Russian Federation and the U.S. would not spiral out of control, said U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis, even as both countries continue to exchange barbs on their involvement in the Syrian civil war.

However, Trump also said Mr Tillerson's Moscow meetings went better than expected.

China typically sides with Russian Federation in the Security Council, including in opposing US -backed measures to punish Syria for its use of chemical weapons.

Both the Syrian government and opposition have asked for an independent investigation Safronkov said, "whereas the OPCW is doing nothing, for reasons unknown".

"Putin is backing a person that's truly an evil person".

"We have not seen a single fact, or even a hint of facts", he said. However, Putin appears to have found time to meet with the former recipient of Russia's Order of Friendship, who reportedly ditched his press pool to catch up with Putin.

The president said he's "very impressed" with Xi, adding he thought he means well and wants to help.