US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Moscow for potentially difficult talks with his Russian counterpart, amid acrimony over a chemical attack on civilians and subsequent US strike on a Syrian airbase.
The White House said Tuesday Russia and Syria were trying to “confuse the world community about who is responsible” for a chemical attack in Syria’s Idlib province on April 4 that killed more than 80 people.
Russia says the Syrian regime is being unfairly blamed for the attack, and has suggested forces within Syria are plotting more attacks which they intend to pin on the Syrian regime.
It’s against that backdrop that Tillerson will enter talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He also lacks a clear game plan from key allies after G7 foreign ministers failed to reach consensus on the threat of potential sanctions against Syria and Russia.
It’s unclear what the talks will achieve.
What is Russia saying?
Moscow appears exasperated. When asked about accusations that the Syrian regime was behind last week’s chemical attack in Idlib province, which left at least 80 people — including 10 children — dead, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded: “This is very tedious, this story.”
Putin said Russia has information that unnamed forces were plotting attacks around Syria, including on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus. He said they were “planning to plant certain substances and accuse Syrian authorities of using them,” and called on the international community to investigate.
The Russian leader was responding to a question on the likelihood of further US military strikes against Syria.
After the chemical attack on Idlib province, US President Donald Trump ordered a Tomahawk missile strike against the Shayrat airfield, from where aircraft used in the chemical attack were launched.
The US claimed the strike destroyed 20% of Syria’s operational aircraft, a figure disputed by Russia’s Defense Ministry.
In comments posted to its Facebook page, the Russian ministry suggested the missiles hit “mainly large farm buildings and structures” and reiterated comments made by the Kremlin and Damascus that Friday morning’s strike aided terror groups in the country.
“The only logical explanation for the Pentagon’s strategic plan can only be the weakening of the combat potential of the Syrian army, confidently winning against terrorists of ISIS and al-Nusra in southern Syria,” it said.
On top of this rancor, Tillerson’s job will not be made easier by mixed signals on Syria and Russia coming out of the Trump White House.
What is the White House accusing Russia of?
The White House accused Syria and Russia Tuesday of trying to “confuse the world community about who is responsible for using chemical weapons against the Syrian people in this and earlier attacks.”
Senior administration officials stopped short of saying there was definitive proof of Russian collusion with Syria on the chemical attack last week, but the administration bluntly accused the Russian government of helping the Syrian regime cover-up chemical weapons still in the country.
“I think it’s clear that the Russians are trying to cover up what happened there,” one senior administration official said.
Nikki Haley, the US envoy to the United Nations, echoed the comments in an interview with CNN’s Jamie Gangel.
“I think that if you look at the fact that when this information came out, they were so quick to defend,” Haley said. “They didn’t look shocked, they didn’t look surprised. They were so quick to defend. And then the evidence comes out and we see exactly what it is. And we know exactly what the environment was.”
US Defense Secretary James Mattis reiterated the US belief that the Assad regime was behind the attack, despite protestations from Damascus and the Kremlin that the attack was the result of a Syrian air strike which hit a rebel chemical weapons factory.
“There’s no doubt the Syrian regime is responsible for the decision to attack,” Mattis said, adding, “The Assad regime planned it, orchestrated it and executed it, and beyond that we can’t say right now.”
What’s the US’ next move?
The US position on Syria is still not clear.
Trump has made no public statement on Syria since last week’s missile attack.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said twice Monday that the Trump administration would respond if the Assad regime used barrel bombs against his own people, something that has been a regular occurrence in the six-year civil war. Aides later clarified that this “did not signal a change in Administration policy.”
Haley herself has said that removing Assad from power is a priority, cementing an extraordinary U-turn in the Trump administration’s stance on the embattled leader.
In an interview on Fox Business Network Wednesday, Trump said the US was “not going into Syria,” and that Putin was backing “a truly evil person.”
His Defense Secretary said that while the US focus was on defeating ISIS, further use of chemical weapons by the Assad would not be tolerated and could warrant additional military action.
“If they use chemical weapons, they are going to pay a very, very stiff price,” Mattis told reporters during his first Pentagon briefing as secretary.