Russia says U.S. missile strike on Syria causes 'significant damage' to Russian-American relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a press conference
(Image credit: Natalia Kolesnikova/Getty Images)

President Trump's decision to fire 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase early Friday "causes significant damage to Russian-American relations, which were already in a deplorable state," said Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that Putin sees the airstrikes as a violation of international law.

The missile launch came in response to a chemical attack on Tuesday that killed more than 70 people in Idlib. The U.S. has blamed the attack on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but the Syrian government denies using chemical weapons against its own people, and Russia, one of Syria's allies, backs up that claim.

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Jessica Hullinger

Jessica Hullinger is a writer and former deputy editor of The Week Digital. Originally from the American Midwest, she completed a degree in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington before relocating to New York City, where she pursued a career in media. After joining The Week as an intern in 2010, she served as the title’s audience development manager, senior editor and deputy editor, as well as a regular guest on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. Her writing has featured in other publications including Popular Science, Fast Company, Fortune, and Self magazine, and she loves covering science and climate-related issues.