Russia sharply steps up criticism of U.S. over Syria - The Washington Post
MOSCOW Russia dramatically escalated its denunciations of American threats to attack Syrian military targets on Saturday, as President Vladimir Putin called the arguments about chemical weapons that underlie the U.S. case utter nonsense.
The Foreign Ministry said a U.S. attack would be a gross violation of international law.
Speaking out for the first time since an alleged chemical weapons attack near Damascus on Aug. 21, Putin called on President Obama to find a nonviolent way out of the crisis.
I would like to address Obama as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate: Before using force in Syria, it would be good to think about future casualties, Putin told Russian news agencies in Vladivostok during a tour of the countrys flood-stricken Far East.
Russia is urging you to think twice before making a decision on an operation in Syria, he said.
Next weeks Group of 20 economic summit in St. Petersburg would be a good forum for discussing the Syrian issue, he said, so why not take advantage of it?
MOSCOW Russia dramatically escalated its denunciations of American threats to attack Syrian military targets on Saturday, as President Vladimir Putin called the arguments about chemical weapons that underlie the U.S. case utter nonsense.
The Foreign Ministry said a U.S. attack would be a gross violation of international law.
Speaking out for the first time since an alleged chemical weapons attack near Damascus on Aug. 21, Putin called on President Obama to find a nonviolent way out of the crisis.
I would like to address Obama as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate: Before using force in Syria, it would be good to think about future casualties, Putin told Russian news agencies in Vladivostok during a tour of the countrys flood-stricken Far East.
Russia is urging you to think twice before making a decision on an operation in Syria, he said.
Next weeks Group of 20 economic summit in St. Petersburg would be a good forum for discussing the Syrian issue, he said, so why not take advantage of it?