Secretary of State Rex Tillerson touches down in Moscow with a simple message for President Vladimir Putin and his government: it's the U.S. and the west or Assad.
Press Secretary Sean Spicer says Secretary Tillerson speaks on behalf of President Donald Trump. He also takes the blessing of the G7 countries he met with Tuesday in Italy.
"We want to create a future for Syria that is stable and secure and so Russia can be a part of that future," Tillerson said before leaving for Moscow.
The U.S. and other western countries blame Bashar al- Assad for dropping chemical weapons on his own people last week. Russia blames the rebels fighting the Syrian Army and the U.S. for what they call a phony act of aggression against the Syrian Air Force base President Trump ordered bombed over the weekend.
Spicer says Russia needs to look around and realize its on the wrong side of history.
"The only countries that aren't supporting the U.S. position are Syria, North Korea, Iran and Russia. This is not exactly, you know, a happy time cocktail party of people that you want to be associated with," Spicer told reporters Tuesday.
Like his predecessor, President Trump has decided Assad cannot lead a productive, peaceful Syria. Spicer says the president wants Russia and other countries to help the U.S. create a political environment that allows the Syrian people to choose their future. He's promised more sanctions against the current regime, but isn't offering any details.
04-11-2017
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