Russia Warns US on Syria. Trump's Response: a Taunt

President say 'get ready'
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 11, 2018 4:00 AM CDT
Updated Apr 11, 2018 6:42 AM CDT
Russian Envoy: US Missiles Targeting Syria Will Be Shot Down
President Donald Trump waves as he leaves South Lawn following a ceremony to honor the 2017 NCAA football national champion, the Alabama Crimson Tide at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

If the US tries to launch missiles at Syria, they will be shot down and the warships or planes they're launched from will become targets, Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said Tuesday night, echoing earlier warnings from Moscow. "If there is a strike by the Americans, then … the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Alexander Zasypkin told a Hezbollah-affiliated TV station, per Reuters.

  • The words planted no fear in President Trump, who on Wednesday morning addressed the news in a tweet, telling Russia to "get ready ... 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!"
  • The Guardian reports a Russian foreign ministry rep addressed the tweet, saying "smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not [a] legal government."

  • About 40 minutes after his first Russia-themed tweet came a second one from Trump: "Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?"
  • Moscow's United Nations envoy also warned against US action Tuesday, saying that Washington will "bear responsibility" for any "illegal military adventure" carried out in response to a suspected chemical attack that killed scores of civilians, the BBC reports.
  • Vassily Nebenzia was speaking during a meeting of the UN Security Council in which the US and Russia blocked each other's attempts to set up investigations of the alleged chemical attack.
  • Trump has canceled a trip to Latin America in order to oversee the US response, which he said Monday would be decided on within 48 hours.
  • The Telegraph reports that European traffic controllers have warned aircraft that strikes in the region are a strong possibility in the next 72 hours.
(Russia is jamming the signals of American drones over Syria.)

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