Julie Bishop has thrown Australia’s support behind a potential Syrian air strike, as Donald Trump warns Russia to “get ready” for missiles.
The foreign affairs minister said the country would stand behind the US, if action was “targeted, calibrated and proportionate”, just hours before President Trump made a terrifying threat to Putin on social media in response to an alleged chemical attack near Damascus on Saturday.
“I am not going to comment on US military actions,” Bishop told ABC Radio on Wednesday, according to the Australian. “But if the United States does carry out an airstrike in response to this use of chemical weapons against citizens then Australia would support any action that is targeted calibrated and proportionate.”
Now, Trump has issued his most haunting threat yet, warning missiles “will be coming” in response to Syria’s suspected chemical attack which left at least 60 people dead at the weekend.
“Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!'” He wrote on Twitter. Senior Russian figures have threatened to meet any US strikes with a response, which could in turn spark a world war.
Trump went on to call the Syrian leader, President Bashar al-Assad, a “gas killing animal”, and added: “Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?”
It comes amid reports the US has backing from the UK and France, as they plan a response to the alleged chemical attack on the rebel town of Douma.
Trump and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis promptly cancelled their travel plans following the apparent attack, and according to multiple reports, the guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook has since moved to within striking range of Syria.
British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron have also supported a response strike on Syria, and European air traffic organisation, Eurocontrol, has since warned airlines to keep caution when flying in the area.
According to the Australian, Labor defence spokesman Richard Marles added: “The Syrian regime used chemical weapons last year and there was a consequence which flowed as a result of that through the American missile strikes… We supported them. That was the right action.”