Vladimir Putin has accused America of plotting more missile strikes in Syria and warned of fake gas attacks designed to bring down the Assad regime.

The Russian premier said he has intelligence that 'some kind of substance' will be used in Damascus and the Syrian authorities will be blamed.

Asked about further American missile strikes, he said: 'We have information that a similar provocation is being prepared ... in other parts of Syria including in the southern Damascus suburbs where they are planning to again plant some substance and accuse the Syrian authorities of using it.'

Vladimir Putin has accused America of planning more missle strikes in Syria and warned of fake gas attacks in Damascus in order to bring down the Assad regime

Putin said he will be calling on the United Nation to investigate the strike on Khan Sheikhoun which killed 87 civilians, saying there is no evidence that Assad is to blame

He continued to deny that Assad's regime was behind last week's attack in Idlib which killed 87, saying Russia will be calling on the United Nations to investigate.

Putin likened last week's use of chemical weapons to the supposed existence of weapons of mass destruction that led to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

He said: 'This ended with the country's destruction, with the growth of the terrorist threat and the appearance of the Islamic State on the international stage, no more, no less.'

He confirmed that Russia will urgently ask the global chemical weapons watchdog - the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - to investigate Idlib.

Russia has defended the Syrian government, a staunch ally, against U.S. allegations it was behind the attack, saying there is no evidence to underpin such an accusation.

Sergei Rudskoy, of the Russian General Staff, added that Syrian government is willing to let international experts to examine the airbase in Shayrat, which was bombed by Trump, for signs of chemical weapons.

Russia will provide security for the visit, according to Rudskoy.

However, a White House official responded to Russia's claims on Tuesday, saying the US is 'very confident' that the chemical attack in Syria was not carried out by rebels and was not fabricated.

The official also said Russia has shown a clear pattern of trying to shift blame for chemical weapons attacks away from Syria's Assad.

The comments came as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson landed in Moscow for talks over the Syrian crisis.

Putin likened the gas attack last week, which prompted Trump to launch cruise missiles into Syria, to the weapons of mass destruction that led to the invasion of Iraq in 2003

Putin's comments came as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson landed in Moscow for talks, having earlier called on Russia to drop its support for Assad and Hezbollah

Putin's spokesman has said there are no scheduled plans for the President to meet Tillerson, but Russian media have cited unnamed sources as saying that such a meeting will go ahead.

Earlier on Tuesday, Tillerson spoke to a meeting of G7 leader in Italy, saying the time had come for Russia to abandon its support for the likes of Assad and Hezbollah.

In response, Putin said Moscow would tolerate Western criticism of its role in Syria but hoped that attitudes would eventually soften.

Elsewhere on Tuesday Turkey confirmed that sarin gas was used on Syrian civilians.

Analysis of blood and urine samples from the attack in the northwestern Idlib province proved the use of the gas, experts stated.

Turkish health minster Recep Akdag told state-run news agency Anadolu: 'It has been identified that sarin gas was used.'

Turkey last week conducted autopsies on three victims of the gas attack who were brought from Syria.

Officials from the World Health Organization and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons participated in the autopsies.