Russia adds warships near Syria amid U.S. warning

WASHINGTON — Senior U.S. officials warned the Russian and Syrian governments Tuesday against chemical weapons use in Syria as forces allied with its President Bashar Assad prepare for an offensive on a rebel stronghold.

The United States “will respond to any verified chemical weapons use in Idlib or elsewhere in Syria … in a swift and appropriate manner,” State Department spokesman Heather Nauert told reporters in Washington.

Nauert said senior U.S. officials engaged with their Russian counterparts “to make this point very clear to Damascus.” She said the use of chemical weapons “will not be tolerated.”

She said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week that Moscow — a military ally of Assad — would be held responsible.

NATO on Wednesday said the Russian navy is building up its presence in the Mediterranean Sea amid growing tensions over the war in Syria.

“We will not speculate on the intention of the Russian fleet, but it is important that all actors in the region exercise restraint and refrain from worsening an already disastrous humanitarian situation in Syria,” NATO’s chief spokesman, Oana Lungescu, said Wednesday.

She says several of the Russian ships are equipped with cruise missiles.

Russian defense officials could not be reached for comment. At least eight ships, including a missile cruiser and two missile-carrying submarines, have joined the Russian flotilla over the past three weeks. Russian media reports indicate there are around 15 Russian navy vessels in the Mediterranean overall.

Moscow has repeatedly alleged that Syrian rebels are preparing a chemical weapons attack in Idlib as a provocation to bring a Western attack on Syrian forces.