In the hours after the American missile strike, Iran — Russia’s main ally in the region in helping Mr. Assad — condemned it as “dangerous, destructive and a violation of international law.”
But Britain expressed support, as did Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President François Hollande of France, who issued a joint statement saying that Mr. Assad “bears sole responsibility.”
A spokesman for Turkey’s government said the American strike had been a positive response to “war
crimes” in Syria, while a Saudi official praised the “courageous decision” by Mr. Trump.
Syria Strike Puts U. S. Relationship With Russia at Risk -
By PETER BAKER, NEIL MacFARQUHAR and MICHAEL R. GORDONAPRIL 7, 2017
WASHINGTON — The American military strike against Syria threatened Russian-American relations on Friday as the Kremlin denounced President Trump’s use of force and the Russian military announced
that it was suspending an agreement to share information about air operations over the country, devised to avoid accidental conflict.
“We are prepared to do more, but we hope that will not be necessary.”
Even as Mr. Trump ordered the first direct American attack on Syria’s government in six years of grinding civil
war, the White House indicated no further move to unseat Mr. Assad, leaving the strike to speak for itself.
“So either Russia has been complicit or Russia has been simply incompetent in its ability to deliver on its end of that agreement.”
Russia, which sent armed forces to Syria in 2015 to bolster Mr. Assad against insurgents, denied
that his government was behind the chemical attack on Tuesday in Idlib Province that left more than 80 people dead, calling that a pretext.
