The White House issued a scathing attack on Russia's "red carpet" welcome for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday, accusing Moscow of impeding progress towards a political transition by propping up the strongman, AFP reports.
Assad met Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday and thanked his Russiancounterpart for launching airstrikes against his opponents in Syria, with both leaders also agreeing during talks that political steps must follow military operations.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz told journalists the United States viewed "the red carpet welcome for Assad, who has used chemical weapons against his own people, as at odds with the stated goal by the Russians for a political transition in Syria."