US: Russia Protected Syria Over Chemical Attacks U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said Russia protected Syria's Bashar Assad over launching multiple chlorine gas attacks on civilians. Haley told the U.N. Security Council that Russia has yet to condemn the attacks. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia While Syria's government denied the use of chemical weapons U.N. experts concluded chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015.