The White House responded to warnings from Russia on Monday by saying the U.S. will do whatever’s necessary to protect America’s military and its interests in Syria, where a U.S. warplane shot down a Syrian military plane.

“Obviously, we’re going to do what we can to protect our interests,” said White House press secretary Sean Spicer. “We will always preserve the right of self-defense.”

Russia, an ally of Syria, warned the U.S. that its military would shoot down anything in the skies over Syria after the incident.

Mr. Spicer said the Islamic State, which the U.S. and its allies are fighting in Syria and Iraq, “represents a threat to all nations.”

He said the U.S. intends to keep “the lines of communication open with the Russians to de-conflict potential issues.”

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