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<center>**Russia Says US Plans to Strike Syrian Government, Pledges Military Response**</center>

On March 13, the head of Russia’s General Staff [said](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-russia-usa/russia-says-u-s-plans-to-strike-damascus-pledges-military-response-idUSKCN1GP0TY) Moscow had information that Syrian rebels were planning to stage a chemical weapons attack against civilians and blame it on the Syrian government.

<center>**Trump: "It Certainly Looks Like" Russia Was Behind UK Chemical Attack**</center>

_"That is very sad,"_ Trump [said](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-russia-spy-poisoning-behind-salisbury-attack-sergei-skripal-latest-updates-a8257626.html) on March 15 about the alleged Russian chemical attack in the UK, adding that it was _"something that should never, ever happen and we're taking it very seriously."_

<center>**US Accuses Russia of Cyber-Attack on Energy Sector and Imposes New Sanctions**</center>

On March 15, the US [accused](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/15/russia-sanctions-energy-sector-cyber-attack-us-election-interference) Russia of a major cyber-attack on its energy grid and other key parts of its infrastructure, as it stepped up sanctions on Russian intelligence.

<center>**UK, France, Germany, US Release Joint Statement Blaming Russia for Chemical Attack**</center>

The four countries [said](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-france-germany-us-statement-russia-responsible-spy-poisoning-putin-nerve-agent-salisbury-a8257311.html) on March 15 that the use of a _“military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia”_ was the first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since World War II.

<center>**US to UN: World Must Punish Russia, or They’ll Use Chemical Weapons in NYC Next**</center>

Speaking at an emergency UN Security Council session on March 14, Haley [demanded](http://theantimedia.org/punish-russia-chemical-weapons-new-york-city/) _“immediate, concrete measures”_ against the Russians for the chemical attack in Britain. 

<center>**Trump Promotes Longtime Russia Hawk Just as Russiagate Loses Momentum**</center>

Mike Pompeo has been a consistent and [longstanding Russia hawk](https://steemit.com/trump/@caitlinjohnstone/trump-promotes-longtime-russia-hawk-just-as-russiagate-loses-momentum) for years, going so far as to accuse Obama of endangering the US by agreeing to meet with Putin in 2015.