WASHINGTON, August 30. /TASS/. During a meeting with US diplomats earlier this week, Russia’s ambassador to the United States warned the US government against a yet another unjustified and illegal act of aggression against Syria, the Russian embassy has said.

"We warned the United States against a yet another unjustified and illegal act of aggression in Syria. Escalation of tensions in Syria is not in anyone’s national interests," the Russian embassy said in a statement, published on Wednesday. "We urged Washington to immediately provide facts that may support this attempt to once again propagate the issue of chemical weapons use by Damascus."

"We have expressed most serious concern about the US side’s signals indicating that new strikes on Syria are being prepared under the pretext of possible use of ‘chemical weapons’ by Syrians. We conveyed our serious concern about those developments," ambassador Anatoly Antonov was quoted as saying in the statement.

"Various terrorist groups and pseudo-humanitarian organizations, like White Helmets, may treat this rhetoric by the US side as a signal to stage another provocation," Antonov added.

Antonov’s meeting with Assistant Secretary of State (Acting) for Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfield and United States Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey was held on the Russian side’s initiative on Monday, August 27. The embassy described the talks as "constructive" and "professional."

Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov told reporters on Monday that the United States was increasing the number of cruise missiles deployed to the Middle East, planning to target Syrian government troops following a staged chemical weapons attack that terrorists were about to carry out in the Idlib province. He added that "this is another proof of the United States’ intention to take advantage of an attack staged by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants with the support of British intelligence agencies in the Idlib province, aimed at blaming Syrian government forces for using chemical weapons.".