Trump to Russia: ‘Get ready’ for missiles in Syria
President Donald Trump said relations with Russia have never been worse and warned Moscow to “get ready” for a US missile strike on Syria over a suspected chemical weapons attack.
“Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!,” Trump tweeted. “You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!”
The US relationship with Russia is “worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War,” Trump said. “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?”
A strike that hits Russian assets in Syria — even if unintentionally — could result in a dangerous game of one-upmanship, potentially dragging the US further into a conflict the president wants to leave. Russia has strengthened Syria’s air defence capabilities, deploying S-400 missile batteries after US strikes a year ago hit a Syrian base.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told official news agencies that the Kremlin still hopes that destabilising steps can be avoided.
Syria’s foreign ministry said it
WASHINGTON:
was “not surprised by this arrogant escalation by a country like the United States, which has supported terrorism in Syria.” An unidentified ministry official cited by state-run TV accused the Americans of sponsoring the lies of “terrorists” as a pretext to attack Syria.
Trump lashed out at Russia after its ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, told Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV that any rockets that threaten Russian forces “will be downed as well as the sources of those rockets”.