President Donald Trump's administration should punish Russia for its aid to the Syrian regime during the country's civil war, former Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Thursday.
"For one thing, right now, I think that additional sanctions on Russia — which a number on (Capitol) Hill are calling for — is appropriate. The Russians have responsibility for this and they didn't do what they said they were going to do," Carter told "CBS This Morning."
Carter, who served during President Barack Obama's last two years in office, said Russia had said it would facilitate Bashar al-Assad leaving and Syrian opposition being made part of the government.
"They didn't do that. Instead, they fueled the civil war," Carter said. "They're enablers and supporters. They didn't come in to end the civil war. They came in to join."
When asked if he believed the chemical attack happened because of the Trump administration's signal that it would abandon pressure on Assad, Carter said: "I can't say that. This is Assad's responsibility.
"I think it is important for us to have clarity about our policy and consistency in the annunciation of our policy," he added.
Russia's foreign ministry on Thursday called on Trump to reveal a Syria plan.
"Russia's approach to Assad is clear. He is the legal president of an independent state. What is the U.S. approach?" Maria Zakharova told CNN in a text message.
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