Russia has revealed a secret phone line has been set up between
Moscow and the
USA to avoid a clash over
Syria as tensions mount over a possible American strike on Russia's Middle East ally.
The Kremlin said it is very important to avoid steps that could threaten to raise tensions in war-ravaged Syria.
The news emerged as British ministers plan to gather to discuss whether to join the US and France in a possible military attack on Syria that threatens to bring Western and Russian forces into direct confrontation.
Asked whether the so-called deconfliction line between the Russian and US militaries for Syria was being used to avoid potential Russian casualties in the event of a US strike, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters:"The line is used and it is active.
"In general the line is used by both sides."
Mrs May has held telephone conversations with Mr rump and French President Emmanuel Macron and they agreed the international community "needed to respond” to "uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons”.
Britain has not yet reached a decision on how to respond to a suspected poison gas attack in Syria after a war of words broke out between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
Brexit minister David Davis said any move would be considered very carefully and be based on evidence.
Speaking at a Wall Street Journal event in London, Mr Davis said: "No decision as yet, the cabinet is meeting in full at 3.30pm to discuss.
"The situation in Syria is horrific, the use of chemical weapons is something the world has to prevent.
"But also it's a very, very delicate circumstance and we've got to make this judgement on a very careful, very deliberate, very well thought-through basis."
Mr Trump warned Russia on Wednesday that missiles will be “coming, nice and new and smart”.
He tweeted: “Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this.
“Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?”
Russia has since hit back vowing to retaliate if Mr Trump orders a US missile strike on Syria.
The war of words erupted after Russia and the US blocked attempts by each other in the UN Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
Last night reports emerged Theresa May had ordered British submarines within range of Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian forces as the Prime Minister moves ever-closer to military intervention, following the sick chemical attack in Douma last week.
But Assad's ally Russia has lashed out at the UK, belittiling Royal Navy sailors as Moscow declared Mrs May may regret it.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “These are young men who do not even know what fate they are preparing for Syria or what fate Theresa May prepares for them.
“She may apologise for it later. But they have to live with it.”