NEW YORK // US secretary of state Rex Tillerson told Russia on Tuesday to choose between aligning itself with the US and its partners, or embracing the Syrian president Bashar Al Assad, Iran and the militant group Hizbollah.
Mr Tillerson delivered his stark choice ahead of talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday.
His visit marks a test of whether the Trump administration can capitalise on a missile attack on a Syrian airbase last week to craft and execute a strategy to end the Syrian conflict.
Russia remains Mr Al Assad's most important international backer through the six-year civil war.
Mr Tillerson, the former chief executive of ExxonMobil, made clear that Moscow risked finding itself on the wrong side of history.
"Russia has really aligned itself with the Assad regime, the Iranians, and Hizbollah," he said. "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?"
He was speaking after G7 foreign ministers rejected a call by Britain to impose further sanctions against Russia for the sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun that killed as many as 89 people.
Mr Tillerson's visit was expected to be difficult even before Mr Trump's retaliatory cruise missile strikes. US agencies are investigating Russia's alleged role in trying to influence last year's US presidential election, complicating efforts to find common ground in tackling the threat from ISIL.
Russia has already said it was bolstering Syrian air defences and would suspend lines of communication with the US designed to avoid direct confrontations in the skies over the country.
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