Russian President Vladimir Putin has not taken kindly to the U.S. missile attack on the Shayrat air base in central Syria and has said that it is on the verge of a war with the United States. According to the New Zealand Herald, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has branded the attack as an act of breaking international law since it was done without the approval of the United Nations. He also criticized Donald Trump for launching an attack on a legitimate government.
Actions taken by Russia
One of the first actions taken by Vladimir Putin in retaliation to the U.S.
attack was to send the Russian Black Sea frigate into the Mediterranean where US Navy destroyers are present. The Tomahawk missile attacks were launched from U.S. warships to destroy the Syrian air base.
The Russian frigate is 4000-ton Admiral Grigorovich and it departed from Sevastopol, in Crimea. It is equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles and could dock in the Syrian port of Tartus. This frigate can stay off the Syrian coast for up to a month and was a part of the joint naval drills that was recently conducted between Russia and Turkey in the Black Sea.
The second action taken by Russia is to deactivate the specialized military hotline which had been installed with the explicit purpose of avoiding conflict with the US because of the airstrike in Syria.
This hotline was an essential channel of communication in times of tension and was used by the U.S. to keep the Kremlin informed about impending air strikes.
Is a major war in the offing?
The missile strike by the United States has been commended by leaders from around the world including the UK, Australia, Germany, France, Turkey, Italy and New Zealand among others.
However, Russia has not only condemned it but has also vowed to add might to Syria’s air defenses.
Battle Lines are drawn and the sabers rattled. The situation is a turbulent one and the world will be divided over how to tackle the battle of giants. One thing is certain, that such a conflict must be avoided and a solution worked out that would be beneficial to humanity.
The present unrest in Syria and the loss of lives and property is proof that war does not pay. World leaders like Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin must put their heads together to resolve the issue and not resort to a show of strength that would lead to the death of innocents. They must exercise restraint and not allow the situation to go out of control.
