Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has called on Russia to use its “enormous influence” in Syria to ensure an alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma over the weekend is investigated.
Mr Turnbull described the Douma attack, which killed more than 40 people, as an “offence against international law and humanity”.
US president Donald Trump has threatened a retaliatory missile strike on the Syrian regime, which is allied with Russia in the ongoing civil war.
Mr Trump tweeted that the US relationship with Russia was “worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War.”
Speaking on Melbourne’s Triple M radio station on Thursday morning, Mr Turnbull backed the president for putting pressure on Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“It’s a very strong judgment,” Mr Turnbull said.
“I think that’s what he’s doing there is calling on his counterpart in Russia, President Putin, to stop this disruption of the international order.”
“This use of chemical warfare, whether it’s in Syria or on a park bench in England, is a shocking violation of international law and an affront to humanity.”
Australia supported a recent United Nations Security Council motion to order an international investigation into the alleged chemical weapon strike.
Russia used its status as a permanent member on the Council to veto the motion.
