Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told the secretary general of the United Nations last week that the United States is letting Russia decide Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad’s future, according to a report published Monday by Foreign Policy.
Foreign Policy reported, citing three unnamed diplomatic sources familiar with the exchange, that Tillerson made the remarks to U.N. Secretary General António Guterres last week in a private State Department meeting.
Tillerson told Guterres that the White House’s “priority is limited to defeating the Islamic State,” according to the report.
A State Department official did not comment on Tillerson’s remarks, but told Foreign Policy that the U.S. supports a “credible political process that can resolve the question of Syria’s future” which “in our view, will lead to a resolution of Assad’s status.”
The White House has not espoused a consistent position on Assad’s future. In March, Tillerson said the “longer-term status of President Assad will be decided by the Syrian people.”
“We need to focus on now defeating ISIS,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters in April.
After a chemical weapons attack killed more than 80 people in April, Tillerson took a stronger position, telling reporters there was “no role” for Assad “to govern the Syrian people.”
He warned Russia to “consider carefully” its support for Assad’s regime.
Days later, Tillerson said “the reign” of Assad’s family was “coming to an end.”
“We want to relieve the suffering of the Syrian people. Russia can be a part of that future and play an important role,” he said. “Or Russia can maintain its alliance with this group, which we believe is not going to serve Russia’s interests longer term.”
Tillerson said Russia “failed to uphold the agreements” guaranteeing that Syria was free of chemical weapons and had “failed in its responsibility.”
