Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday that the United States is edging toward dropping months of diplomatic efforts with Russia to end the Syrian civil war, after a U.S.-Russian ceasefire collapsed earlier this month and gave way to a Russia and Iran-backed offensive in the Syrian city of Aleppo.
“We’re on the verge of suspending the discussion because it is irrational in the context of the kind of bombing taking place to be sitting there trying to take things seriously,” Kerry said during the Atlantic‘s Washington Ideas Forum.
“It is one of those moments where we are going to have to pursue other alternatives,” he said.
Kerry emphasized the immense “distrust” between the Russians and the United States, and called Moscow’s bombing of Aleppo “inappropriate.”
“It is completely against the laws of war, it is against decency, it is against any common morality, and it is costing enormously,” he said.
The nation’s top diplomat has pursued negotiations with the Russians for months and maintained that “there is no such thing as a military solution” for Syria.
His approach has drawn criticism from military and intelligence officials, who say that Moscow is not working to defeat the Islamic State in Syria and is instead looking to prop up Bashar al-Assad. Officials like Defense Secretary Ash Carter and CIA Director John Brennan have pushed for U.S. action outside diplomacy, such as stepping up military aid to Syrian rebels.
In recent weeks, lawmakers have also amplified their criticism of the administration’s efforts in Syria, with Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham leading the charge.
“[Kerry] is humiliating himself and the country by talking, and talking, and talking, to a group of people who clearly don’t respect you,” South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham told TWS on Tuesday. “All you’ve done is talk. It is now time to show the Russians there are consequences.”
Kerry fired back at earlier criticism from the senators Monday by saying that “talk is cheap” and questioning whether Congress was willing to vote to use force in Syria. He echoed those statements Thursday when brushing off the latest round of the senators’ critiques.
“I’m not worried about lampooning, particularly from people who don’t seem to have the votes or the ability to be able to cobble together a legitimate plan,” Kerry said. “I don’t see Congress panting to put people on the ground to go to war in Syria.”
Kerry on Monday defended the ceasefire effort, and pinned blame for the violence in Syria on “Assad and Russia wanting to simply try to pursue a military victory.”
The Secretary told Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov Wednesday that the United States was preparing to end cooperation with Moscow, “unless Russia takes immediate steps to end the assault on Aleppo and restore the cessation of hostilities,” according to a readout of their phone call.
