Donald Trump criticizes Russia for allowing the "butchery" of the Syrian regime


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In retreating from his usual praise of Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump criticized Russia for its actions in Syria, claiming that it had "allowed" the "slaughter" of civilians by the regime.

Trump raised the issue of chemical and biological weapons while presiding over Wednesday the UN Security Council at the General Assembly in New York. He reiterated the accusations that President Bashar al-Assad's government repeatedly used such weapons against civilians during the seven years of conflict in Syria.

"We must never forget the risk posed by biological and chemical weapons," said Trump, calling for international action to address the threat, reported Voice of America. He then pointed to Russia and Iran.

"The slaughter of the Syrian regime is allowed by Russia and Iran," said the president.

GettyImages-1040793500 President Donald Trump speaks at the United Nations Security Council meeting on September 26 in New York. DON EMMERT / AFP / Getty Images

Trump also reminded the council that he took action as a result of the chemical attacks reported. Until now, he has ordered two strikes against targets of the Syrian government since taking office. The first targeted a military aerodrome in April 2017 and the second targeted three chemical weapons installations in April of this year.

While Trump criticized Russia and Iran at the Security Council meeting, he also took the opportunity to express his gratitude for the "restraint" that both countries have shown in the Syrian province. Idlib.

"I want to thank Iran, Russia and Syria for their very high demand and their demand, to significantly slow down their attack on the province of Idlib and the 3 million people who live there in order to reach 35,000 terrorists. targeted. " at The hill. He then told the three countries to "take the terrorists," but added, "I hope the restraint will continue. The world is watching.

The province of Idlib is one of the last areas controlled by rebels and jihadists in Syria. Throughout the conflict, Moscow and Tehran played a key role in supporting the Assad regime, while Turkey and the Western powers supported opposition groups. Last week, Russia and Turkey reached an agreement that blocked an impending Syrian military attack on Idlib, but tensions remain high in the region.

GettyImages-1000194372 President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands before attending a joint press conference after a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki on July 16th.
YURI KADOBNOV / AFP / Getty Images

Despite the positive sentiments expressed between Trump and Putin, their governments remained in conflict with Syria. However, analysts have suggested that the two leaders agreed on ending the conflict at their controversial July meeting in Helsinki. The alleged plan would see Assad stay in power in exchange for guarantees regarding Israel's security.

Trump's main concern in Syria has been to defeat Islamic State (ISIS) and similar militant groups. As the battle against ISIS ends in the region, Trump has proposed to withdraw the US military from the conflict, even though senior military advisers and officials have rebuffed the idea, fearing a possible resurgence of the jihadist.

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