“The president is deadly serious to make sure that chemical weapons don't become the norm in the way nations act around the world,” said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. | Alex Wong/Getty Images Foreign Policy Pompeo: U.S. may hold Russia accountable for chemical weapons in Syria

The Trump administration may hold Russia accountable if Syrian President Bashar Assad uses chemical weapons again, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview that aired Sunday.

“We’ll have to analyze once the activity takes place. We pray that it doesn't,” Pompeo said in an interview with “Meet the Press” on NBC.


“But we'll do our intelligence, our forensics. We'll do our hard work. And we will hold accountable those that are responsible for violating this fundamental principle, this idea that chemical weapons are fundamentally different than other types of weapon systems.“

The U.S. last week imposed sanctions on a Chinese military group for allegedly purchasing military equipment from Russia. In a statement, the department said the sanctions aim to punish Russia “in response to its interference in the United States election process, its unacceptable behavior in eastern Ukraine, and other malign activities.“

The Trump administration also blacklisted 33 Russian individuals and businesses Thursday, limiting their ability to conduct business internationally.

“The president is deadly serious to make sure that chemical weapons don't become the norm in the way nations act around the world,” Pompeo said.

