Russia’s response to the United States’ missile attack on a Syrian government base late Thursday evening was “disappointing,” U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters on Friday.
“I’m disappointed in that response … because it indicates their continued support for the Assad regime,” Tillerson said during a briefing with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Fla.
“I find it disappointing, but sadly, not that surprising,” he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the Trump administration earlier Friday of launching the missile strike without first providing evidence that the Assad regime was behind the chemical weapons attack.
“They did not even bother to provide any facts, referring only to photographs and again speculating on the photos of children and of course on the testimony of various non-governmental organizations … to provoke actions against the Syrian government,” Lavrov said in a statement.
Russia has backed the Assad regime’s denial that it was involved in the chemical attack, which left nearly 80 civilians dead, including dozens of children and women. Both Russia and Iran have lent military and intelligence support to the Syrian government in its battle against moderate rebel groups that have sought to oust Assad for the last half-decade.
U.S. officials are said to be investigating whether Moscow had any involvement in the chemical weapons attack earlier this week.
Tillerson told reporters that the purpose of the cruise missile attacks was to make the Syrian air base “inoperable” by targeting refueling stations, airplane hangars and aircrafts. The top State Department official is set to travel to Moscow next week at a time of heightened tension between the U.S. and Russia.
