Moscow ‘Working Hard’ to Prevent Use of Force Against Syria – Kremlin

"So far Russia is working hard to avoid any scenario involving the use of force with regard to Syria,” presidential aide Yury Ushakov said in reply to a question about what Moscow could do if force is used against the Assad regime.

He also said the United States has not handed Russia any "surveillance data” suggesting that Damascus has used chemical weapons, adding that Moscow does not believe claims that is had done so.

"They [Americans] are citing the secrecy of some information,” Ushakov said.

"We don’t have that evidence, and we don’t believe it,” he said.

The Syria issue is not on the agenda of the G20 summit due to take place on September 5-6 in St. Petersburg but it is bound to be discussed on the sidelines, Ushakov said.

"Syria should be discussed, and there is no doubt that it will be,” he said.

RIA Novosti