In mid-October, when Angela Merkel was considering pushing through the EU additional economic sanctions against Russia in response to its commission of war crimes in Syria, Vladimir Putin announced a unillateral cessation of bombing of Aleppo and other targets in northern Syria.
After his telephone conversation with Donald Trump on November 14, Putin resumed Russian’s onslaught against Aleppo, bombing hospitals and other civilian targets.
According to a Kremlin summary of the phone call, Putin said he was ready for “a dialogue of partnership with the new administration based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of each other”.
–Shaun Walker in Moscow and Julian Borger in Washington,”Putin stresses cooperation in first phone call with president-elect Trump; Trump looking forward to ‘strong and enduring relationship with Russia’;Kremlin says two leaders share ‘phenomenally similar’ foreign policy outlook, The Guardian, November 15, 2016 (7:20 GMT).
See “Putin calls Trump, is reassured, and resumes bombing in Syria,” The Trenchant Observer, November 15, 2016.
Following a long-established pattern, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin continued “negotiations” with Secretary of State John Kerry and the United States to establish a ceasefire, humanitarian corridors and humanitarian aid to the residents of rebel-held eastern Aleppo
Meanwhile the Russian bombing and combined attack with Syrian, Iranian, Hezbollah, and Iraqi Shia militias continued, mercilessly, until the remaining portions of rebel-held territory in eastern Aleppo were subdued. Hundreds of the young men who surrendered, with a Syrian promise if safe-conduct to other rebel-held area in Syria, have reportedly been executed.
Viewing these events together, its seems clear that Putin’s telephone conversation with president-elect Trump was interpreted by him as a green light for renewed Russian bombings and other war crimes in Aleppo.
Donald Trump, who at various times has dismissed U.S. generals and the U.S. intellgence community, as recently as last week, has in his campaign and since the November 8 elections uttered not one word of criticism of Putin or Russia.
It would stretch credulity to the breaking point to assume Trump gave any warning to Putin, in their telephone conversation on November 15, regarding Syria.
Trump has,through his silence, assumed moral responsibility for the resumption of Russian bombing and war crimes in Aleppo following his conversation with Putin.
A docile press, held at bay by Trump’s resolute refusal to hold a press conference, since July, has not asked Trump the burning question he must be asked and to which he must respond:
What do you have to say to Vladimir Putin, the American people and the world about Russia’s bombing of and commission of war crimes in Aleppo and Syria?
Does Trump have a view on the subject?
What is it?
We all have a right to know.
The Trenchan Observer