US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that sanctions are always under consideration during a briefing in Washington DC on Tuesday, regarding President Donald Trump’s rejection of sanctions on Russia.
“The longer that it takes to get OPCW inspectors in to take a look at soil samples and other information that they can get in the ground, that delay further degrades any evidence that’s on the ground, so that is our chief concern,” Nauert said in terms of the alleged chemical attack in Syria.
The State Department spokesperson also said the recent airstrikes led by the US, France and the UK were made after “intelligence gathering”, adding “we are very serious about this and we will not tolerate the use of these illegal chemical weapons to kill innocent men, women and children.”
She also said the whole goal of the Russian and Syrian government is to cover up, stating “their goal is to try to deflect attention. So if they could put this back on us, they would certainly like to do it.”
US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki R. Haley, announced on Sunday that the White House would place sanctions on Russian companies found to be assisting Syria’s chemical weapons program. But the White House contradicted her on Monday, saying that Mr. Trump had not approved the measures.