Metzel Mikhail/ZUMA
President Donald Trump appeared to say Wednesday morning that US air strikes in Syria are imminent, warning Russia in a tweet that “nice and new and ‘smart'” missiles will be coming in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack that left more than 45 Syrian civilians dead.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018
Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. 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 J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018
Trump’s threat comes just hours after Russia’s ambassador to Lebanon vowed that any US missiles fired in Syria would be shot down.
“If there is a strike by the Americans, then we refer to the statements of President Putin and the chief of staff that the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired,” Alexander Zasypkin told Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV.
The escalating war of words follows the UN Security Council’s failure this week to pass a resolution outlining steps to investigate the chemical attack. Russia vetoed a US-drafted resolution that was supported by 12 of the 15 security council members.
Trump’s latest tweets are his second direct challenge to Russia in the wake of the deadly attack, which Trump over the weekend blamed partly on Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Tuesday, the White House announced that the president was canceling his trip to South America this week in order to oversee the US response in Syria.
