Militants launched an offensive against Syrian troops

The terrorists of ‘Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’, the former ‘Jabhat al-Nusra’, launched a tank offensive against the positions of Syrian troops — the head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in Syria, Viktor Kupchishin, reports. The offensive began at about 17.35, in the directions of El-Habit to Kafr-Nabud, and Kafr-Zait to Hamamiyat. The terrorists use tanks and so-called ‘Jihad Mobiles’. The Syrian army is currently fighting against the terrorists — TASS reports. It was also reported that the terrorist group made a “chemical wing” in order to fake chemical attacks, allegedly carried out by the Syrian authorities. The other day it was reported that the terrorists intensified the shelling of the Syrian troops. The positions of Syrian army in the south-east of Idlib province, in the Abu Dukhur area with the humanitarian corridor to Aleppo, were attacked.

The US State Department announced that Turkey must cancel the purchase of the Russian S-400 AA missile systems in two weeks — RIA NEWS reports while referring the CNBC. According to the CNBC — Washington is demanding that “by the end of the first week of June, Ankara must cancel a multi-billion-dollar deal with Russia, and instead purchase the US-made missile defense systems ‘Patriot’ «, from Raytheon company. Otherwise, Ankara faces «an exclusion from the F-35 program, a confiscation of 100 promised F-35 fighter jets, an imposition of US sanctions, and a potential response from the NATO». According to the CNBC sources — the proposal is final, and without additional delays.

The US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus announced that the US noticed the signs of a possible use of chemical weapons by the Syrian authorities. «Unfortunately, we continue to observe the signs indicating that the Assad regime is probably using chemical weapons. In particular — there was a possible use of chlorine in north-west Syria, on 19th of May» — the State Department explained and added that the US response to the use of chemical weapons will be immediate. Morgan Ortagus called the Russian accusations against the non-governmental organization ‘White Helmets’ in carrying out the provocations by using chemical weapons as “an ongoing campaign of disinformation”

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is considering a possibility of holding a referendum on the type of format of possible negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. This was announced by the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Andrei Bogdan. “Regarding the issue of reaching a peace agreement with Russia — we are considering an option of bringing the issue to a people’s referendum, so that not only the parliamentarians and the president can vote, but also the people of Ukraine could make this decision” — he said on the TV channel ‘112 Ukraine’. He also noted that Ukraine, under President Zelensky, will stick to the policy of «carrots and sticks» in relation to Russia. According to him — Kiev is ready to meet, talk, and peacefully resolve the conflict. However, Moscow still doesn’t agree on it.