Tillerson: Russia Must Choose Between Assad and U.S.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday said Russia must soon choose between its relationship with the U.S. or its relationship with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Tillerson, speaking at the Group of 7 conference, said it still is not clear if Russia failed to take its obligations to Syria seriously or just did a poor job, but that distinction, he said, “doesn’t much matter to the dead.” Tillerson spoke of those killed in the chemical attack suspected to have been carried out by Assad on Syria’s civilians, which killed more than 80 people, including at least 20 children. “We cannot let this happen again,” he said. There is no future for Assad in Syria, Tillerson said. The Italian foreign minister said Tuesday that there was no consensus in the G7 for new sanctions on Russia. Tillerson will travel to Moscow later in the day.