President Donald Trump ripped Russia and Iran for the "humanitarian disgrace" of the Syrian civil war during a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday.
The Russian Federation and Iranian regime have bolstered Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in what has been a ruinous war that has sparked a refugee crisis and killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians.
Trump and Turnbull were asked what they could do to stem the bloodshed, and Turnbull said there needed to be a political settlement in the region before Trump answered,
"I will say what Russia and what Iran and what Syria have done recently is a humanitarian disgrace. I will tell you that," Trump said. "What those three countries have done to those people over the last short period of time is a disgrace."
Bloomberg reports:
Syria’s eastern Ghouta district has for the past week sustained bombings by Syrian warplanes that have left at least 462 people dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. That includes at least 99 children.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has called on Russia to intercede in the region to help foster peace and has frequently condemned the Kremlin and Syrian government for its abuses against Syrian citizens.
Trump added Friday that the U.S. focus in the region is on defeating Islamic terrorists.
"We're there for one reason. We're there to get ISIS and get rid of ISIS and go home. We're not there for any other reason, and we've largely accomplished our goal," he said.