US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Russia must choose between aligning itself with the US and its allies or Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime, Iran, and Hezbollah. Following is a transcript of the video.
It is our policy for a unified Syria that is governed by the people of Syria. I think it is, it’s clear to all of us that the reign of the Assad family is coming to an end. But the question of how that ends and the transition itself could be very important, in our view, to the durability, the stability inside of a unified Syria, and its stability and durability of the outcome going forward. And so that’s why we are not presupposing how that occurs. But I think it is clear that we see no further role for the Assad regime longer term given that they have effectively given up their legitimacy with these type of attacks.
I think it’s also worth thinking about Russia has really aligned itself with the Assad regime, the Iranians, and Hezbollah. Is that a long-term alliance that serves Russia’s interest? Or would Russia prefer to realign with the United States, with other Western countries, and Middle East countries who are seeking to resolve the Syrian crisis? We want to relieve the suffering of the Syrian people. We want to create a future for Syria that is stable and secure. And so Russia can be a part of that future and play an important role. Or Russia can maintain its alliance with this group which we believe is not going to serve Russia’s interest longer term. But only Russia can answer that question.