TORY Defence Secretary Michael Fallon blamed Russia yesterday for “every civilian death” caused by the chemical weapons attack in Syria widely blamed — without evidence — on President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

Fallon claimed that the government of Vladimir Putin was responsible “by proxy” for killing 87 civilians because it has been Mr Assad’s “principal backer.”

He was referring to a strike on the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun, allegedly using the sarin nerve gas, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Mr Fallon said Moscow must be part of the solution.

“If Russia wants to be absolved of responsibility for future attacks, Vladimir Putin needs to enforce commitments, to dismantle Assad’s chemical weapons arsenal for good and to get fully engaged with the UN peacekeeping process,” the Defence Secretary said.

His comments came after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson cancelled a trip to Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov just hours before his planned departure.

The decision was made after his discussions with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, leading him to be ridiculed as “Washington’s poodle.”

Mr Tillerson had said his own visit to the Kremlin would go ahead.

Mr Fallon also reiterated his support for US President Donald Trump’s illegal cruise missile strike on Friday.

Mr Trump unleashed 59 missiles against an air base from which the chemical attack is alleged to have been launched, in the first direct US military action against the Syrian government.

The Communist Party of Britain (CPB) condemned the US attacks as “reckless” because there will “calamitous consequences” if groups such as Isis and al-Qaida are able to take advantage of any power vacuum.

General secretary Rob Griffiths said: “This escalation of the war in Syria will be welcomed by these sectarian religious groups who see any weakening of the Damascus regime as an opportunity to further their own reactionary agenda.”

“The CPB unreservedly condemns the use of chemical weapons against civilians in any circumstances and supports all genuine calls for a full investigation by the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons into all credible allegations of their use.”

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the US should not have launched its missile strikes and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry added: “Continuing to bomb in Syria is not the solution.”