By: Savannah Smith | 04-16-2017 | News
Photo credit: Phawat Khommai | Dreamstime

McMaster Talks Tough With Russia

It's time for the U.S. to start talking tough against Russia over its support for Syria and questionable actions in Europe. White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster said that Russia's support for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's government has led to a civil war. McMaster added that the crisis created by Syria has also affected Iraq, neighboring countries and Europe.

McMaster gave an interview with ABC News and called Assad's government "horrible regime". He said that Russia's support for that kind of government should be questioned by the U.S., as well as Russia's "subversive" actions in Europe. And Trump's national security adviser stressed that the time for tough talks with Russia should not wait, and must take place 'now'.

The U.S. launched an air strike this month on Syrian airbase in response to what Trump said was the Assad regime's barbaric and horrible gas nerve attack on its people that killed more than 80 innocent victims including beautiful babies. Many civilized nations led by the U.K. agreed and supported the U.S. move.

Syria denied the chemical attacks, and Russia stood by president Vladimir Putin's ally, Bashar al-Assad. Russia's continuing support for Assad even in the face of such deplorable gas attacks is causing further tensions between the U.S. and Russia. President Trump and other world leaders have been clear in what they see as the only solution to ending conflict in Syria: Assad must go.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited Moscow last week in the face of rising tensions between the two countries. McMaster said that he still believes that when relations are at their lowest, there would be no way to go but up. He thinks that Tillerson's visit to Russia was perfectly timed.

A U.S. intel report which came out in January said that Russia tried to influence elections across Europe. Some former and current U.S. officials and analysts said that Russia has targeted elections in France, Germany, and others through the use of propaganda, cyber hacking, funding of its preferred candidates, and other means. They said Russia is doing so with the ultimate aim of weakening the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO) and Trans-Atlantic Alliance.

Putin expressed confidence and hope for an improved and warmer ties between his country and the U.S. with the victory of Trump in November last year. He said relations between the two nations were at their lowest under the Obama administration. Putin and Trump have also exchanged kind words during the campaign. But allegations of Russian interference in the U.S. election, and worse, its persistent support of dictator Assad have been causing tensions lately.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-mcmaster-idUSKBN17I0M4

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