Washington in retaliation launched missile strikes on a Syrian air base it said was the starting point for the chemical weapons attack, a move that ratcheted up tensions between the United States and Syria's ally Russian Federation.
But any such expectations have crashed into reality amid the nasty back-and-forth over Syria and ongoing USA investigations into Russia's alleged interference in America's US presidential election. It expressed support for a UN-sponsored fact-finding mission and urged all parties to cooperate and provide full access to the affected site.
The vote on the Security Council resolution drafted by Britain, France and the United States was 10 in favour, Russian Federation and Bolivia against, and China, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia abstaining.
Mr Lavrov said Russia, Iran and Syria have demanded a "thorough, objective and unbiased investigation" under the auspices of the OPCW, insisting it must use "independent experts", including from Moscow.
She said it was Russia's eighth veto to shield the regime.
In Russia's view, the probe conducted by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons should be widened to include experts from many nations, he said. "Your excuses will no longer be heard".
United Kingdom envoy Matthew Rycroft said the result means Russian Federation "cannot possibly claim any more that it opposes the use chemical weapons".
"How can anyone look at the pictures of lifeless children and choose to veto a resolution that condemns this attack?" Rycroft said of the "indefensible" Russian vote.
"Right now we're not getting along with Russian Federation at all", Trump said flatly during a White House news conference.
Centre seeks recall of SC order on counter-insurgency ops
The bench said it will look into the matter as the Attorney General said a related case was coming up for hearing on April 18. In one order, the Top court had disregarded the protection against action accessible by armed forces persons under AFSPA.
Theresa May has said Russian Federation is on the "wrong side of this argument" by failing to condemn a deadly chemical attack in Syria. But Tillerson repeated the administration's new belief that "the reign of the Assad family is coming to an end".
France was "dismayed by the outcome" of the vote, according to Paris' ambassador Francois Delattre.
Mrs May said: "They are very clear that sarin or a sarin-like substance was used and as our ambassador to the United Nations made clear yesterday, like the United States, we believe it is highly likely that attack was carried out by the Assad regime". President Trump put it more bluntly. It was unclear if Moscow planned to put the text to a vote.
Last Friday, the USA warships fired Tomahawk missiles at the Syrian government's Shayrat Airfield near Homs under the pretext that Damascus had launched a chemical attack on the town of Khan Shaykhun in Idlib.
But Assad has said the allegation that his government was responsible for the attack was "100 per cent fabrication", and this week said once again that his government was not in possession of any chemical weapons.
Russian diplomats urged patience and for the USA and others not to rush to judgment over the April 4 chemical weapon attack that killed more than 80.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who hosted his Iranian and Syrian counterparts in Moscow, denounced the US missile strikes on Syria as a "flagrant violation" of global law. Conflicts over Russia's actions in Ukraine and Russia's alleged interference in the USA presidential campaign were also likely topics.
Trump's performance seems likely to reassure Western governments and much of Washington's foreign policy establishment, which has been uneasy with Trump's criticism of NATO and support for Putin - who the USA president had praised as a stronger leader than Barack ObamaBarack ObamaTrump reinforces turnaround on Syria and Russia Trump on North Korea-China relations: "I realized it's not so easy" Trump campaigned on coal and has governed in climate denial MORE.
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