Secretary of State Mike Pompeo left open the door for the Trump administration to take action against Russia if Syria’s Bashar Assad uses chemical weapons.
“The president is very clear. We will go to the source of the bad behavior,” Pompeo told “Meet the Press” when asked whether Russia would be held accountable if such weapons are used.
Pompeo said the U.S. would have to first conduct an analysis before placing blame on Russia, a key supporter of the Assad regime. He noted that the U.S. has held Russia accountable for prior malicious behavior.
“We’ve sanctioned Russia for chemical biological weapons use, what they did [to Sergei] Skripal,” Pompeo said, referring to a former Russian spy who was poisoned in England earlier this year. Russia has been blamed for the attack, with numerous countries, including the U.S., expelling Russian diplomats in response.
“The president is deadly serious to make sure that chemical weapons don’t become the norm in the way nations act around the world,” Pompeo said.
The Trump administration is also not ruling out military action if chemical weapons are used, he said.
