According to the Kremlin spokesman, the US and other countries are refusing to face reality, concerning the alleged Douma chemical attack.
"You see the rather non-constructive position taken by some countries, including the United States. You see that a priori they refuse to face reality and put labels on the alleged use of toxic agents in Eastern Ghouta," Peskov told reporters.
The spokesman noted that the parties to the conflict don't declare their wish to investigate the сase impartially.
"Labeling things and rendering verdicts without any investigation have become a heart-warming tradition," Peskov added.
On April 7, several Syrian opposition online media outlets reported, citing militants that the Syrian Army had used chlorine in the town of Douma and killed up to 70 people.
READ MORE: Envoy to UN: Syria Possess No Chemical Weapons
The Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria on Sunday categorically refuted the reports. The Center's representatives visited the place of the alleged attack and questioned local doctors, who said that they had not received individuals with symptoms of any chemical poisoning.
On New US Sanctions Against Russia
Russia will avoid hasty decisions on response measures to the new round of US sanctions, it is necessary to focus on the country’s own interests, Peskov noted.
“The situation is still being analyzed. Let's not forget that, of course, the situation is not simple, but our own interests should be prioritized… It would not have been right to take any hasty decisions since sanctions were announced just a few days ago,” Peskov told reporters.
Commenting on the newly-imposed sanctions, the Russian Embassy in the United States said that the new package of sanctions was another hit to bilateral relations, adding that the sanctions would hurt thousands of Russian citizens who are part of the businesses being targeted.
READ MORE: Russia Considers Creation of 2 Tax Havens Over US Sanctions — Reports
Last week, the US Treasury Department added another 38 Russian entrepreneurs, senior officials and companies to its sanctions list in response to Russia's alleged "malign activity" worldwide. Russian entrepreneurs designated by the Treasury Department include Viktor Vekselberg, Oleg Deripaska, Alexey Miller, Suleyman Kerimov, Kirill Shamalov and Andrey Kostin.
On Possible Trump-Putin Meeting
There are no specific agreements yet on the date and place of a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, Dmitry Peskov said.
"There are no agreements and no special contacts yet [on the meeting]. That is why, we are waiting so far. You know we should wait until the candidacy of the US Secretary of State is [confirmed], because there is an agreement between the two presidents – Putin and Trump – that they will instruct the [Russian] foreign minister and the [US] state secretary to work on this issue," Peskov told reporters when asked to comment on the information that Putin might visit Washington in late April.
The Kremlin spokesman noted that the two presidents had agreed to instruct the foreign minister and the secretary of state to work on the time frames and venue for the meeting.
Peskov emphasized that the situation did not contradict the statement of Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov that the meeting between Putin and Trump would be held in the near future.
READ MORE: Trump Slams Putin, Iran for Backing "Animal Assad" Amid Chemical Attack Claims
On April 2, Ushakov said that Trump had proposed to hold talks with Putin in Washington during their telephone conversation. On the same day, White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the two presidents had discussed multiple venues, including the White House, for their future bilateral meeting during the phone talks on March 20.
