Chemical reaction: US missiles ‘on the way’
washington — President Donald Trump warned Russia on Wednesday about supporting Bashar Al Assad in Syria, and said US missiles “will be coming” in retaliation for an alleged chemical weapons attack on civilians.
“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!’ You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Russia has threatened retaliatory action against the United States if missiles are fired at Syria over chemical attack allegations it claims are fabricated.
“If there is a US strike... the missiles will be downed as well as the sources they were fired from,” Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin said late on Tuesday. —
beirut — Russian lawmakers say Moscow would view a US airstrike on Syria as a war crime that could trigger a direct military clash between the two former Cold War adversaries.
Russia’s ambassador to Lebanon went even further, saying any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launching sites targeted — a stark warning of a potential major confrontation in Syria. US President Donald Trump threatened military action after last weekend’s suspected chemical attack on a rebel-held town near Damascus, which activists and rescuers say killed at least 40 people. The Syrian government and its ally Russia deny that such an attack happened.
Trump took to Twitter on Wednesday to respond to the latest Russian warnings, saying missiles “will be coming.”
“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 on Wednesday. “You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry responded by saying “smart” missiles would destroy evidence of a chemical attack. In a Facebook
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? Donald Trump, US President
If there is a strike by the Americans, then... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired. Alexander Zasypkin, Russian Ambassador to Lebanon
post, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wondered if the “original idea” is to “use the smart missiles to sweep the traces of the provocation under the rug.”
Asked earlier about Moscow’s reaction to a possible US strike on Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia still hopes that all parties in the conflict will refrain from taking “steps that could gravely destabilise the fragile situation in the region.” —