Putin Pressure on Russia: Trump’s Strike on Assad
The United States shouldn’t be concerned about angering Russia by getting involved in Syria (“How the Prez Humiliated Putin in Syria,” PostOpinion, Ralph Peters, April 10).
If Russia is complicit in the slaughter of innocent Syrians, it deserves punishment.
Some say this risks war, but Russia would be foolish to retaliate or escalate tensions with the United States.
When is President Trump going to get tough and treat Russia like the enemy it is? Kenneth Zimmerman Huntington Beach, Calif.
It’s clear the strike on Syria temporarily distanced Trump from Vladimir Putin.
However, in 2015, Trump seemingly endorsed Putin’s support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying, “You have Russia on the side of Assad, and Russia wants to get rid of ISIS as much as we do, if not more.”
Trump later rightly condemned the chemical attack, contradicting his advice in 2013 not to attack Assad because it was “not America’s problem.”
Trump’s initial support of Russia’s alliance with Assad should have raised many red flags. Tejinder Uberoi Los Altos, Calif.
Although he said he would never announce an attack, Trump dutifully tipped off Putin before the airstrike.
The attack inflicted minimal damage, and the air strip was used the next day. The meeting be- tween Russia’s leadership and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson proceeded. Putin doesn’t seem to be harboring any real major hard feelings. Michael Hayes Manhattan
Russia will use distraction, diversion, blame and lying as its defense for cyber-attacks on the United States, invading Ukraine, supporting Iran and defending Assad’s actions of using whatever’s in his arsenal, including chemical weapons to kill his people. Russia can’t and shouldn’t be trusted. Robert Neglia The Bronx
Putin did not interfere with Trump’s airstrikes, even though he was warned, just as he didn’t interfere with Assad’s chemical attacks.
The next step is convincing Putin that stabilizing Syria is in both Russia’s and America’s best interest. Deirdre Harvey Valley Stream