Early Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump tweeted that Russia should get ready because missiles will be coming “nice and new and ‘smart'” and chastised Russia for partnering with a “gas killing animal,” referring to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
“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 tweeted.
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
The tweet comes after Russia threatened the U.S. that it will attack the United States over a potential airstrike after Syria attacked its own citizens with chemical gas weapons that killed up to 70 people over the weekend, including women and children.
Russia said reports of chemical weapons attacks were untrue and “bogus,” despite monitoring watch groups describing the horror on the ground – including children and adults foaming at the mouth.
Russia has since aggressively threatened the United States if it were to fire any missiles at Syria in response to the chemical gas attacks.
On Tuesday, Russia’s ambassador to Lebanon said: “U.S. missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted.”
And Russian Army Gen. Valery Gerasimov also warned the U.S. Tuesday, if it were to launch airstrikes against Syria.
“In the event of a threat to our military servicemen’s lives, Russia’s Armed Forces will take retaliatory measures to target both the missiles and their delivery vehicles,” Gerasimov said, state-run media TASS News Agency reported.
On Monday, an airstrike, reportedly by Israel, attacked a Syrian government air base, killing an estimated 14 people, in response to Assad’s attack on his own people.
BREAKING: Russian Defense Ministry says Israel was behind airstrike in Syria, fired 8 missiles at a Syrian government air base.
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 9, 2018
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said earlier this week that the U.S. won’t rule out airstrikes on Syria after the chemical attack.
U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley called out Assad on the floor of the United Nations this week, too, saying that “only a monster would do this.”
“The Russian regime, whose hands are also covered in the blood of Syrian children, cannot be shamed by pictures of its victims. We’ve tried that before,” she said.
Horrifying footage made its way around the world this week showing Syrian children being treated, some on the verge of death, after being attacked with chemical gas weapons.
President Trump said Sunday that there would be a “big price to pay” for the poison gas attack that killed dozens of Syrian civilians, and he issued a rare public rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin for backing Assad in the country’s civil war.
Trump’s condemnation of the apparent chemical assault on the rebel-held Syrian town of Douma raised the prospect of U.S. military retaliation almost a year after he ordered a cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base after a similar poison gas attack.
Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
….to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
