France persuaded U.S. President Trump to keep U.S. troops in Syria and launch airstrikes as punishment for the deadly chemical weapons attack on April 7, French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday.
Appearing in a two-hour live broadcast on French television BFM and online investigative site Mediapart, Macron said the United States, Britain and France had "full international legitimacy to intervene" in Syria to enforce international humanitarian law.
The allies fired over 100 missiles early Saturday at three chemical-weapons facilities and a command post in Syria to punish Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime for using chemical weapons in the rebel-held town of Douma.
"It was retaliation, not an act of war," Macron said.
The airstrikes marked Macron's biggest foreign policy bid yet. Nearly a year into his term, the new president declared France the most active country on the diplomatic field and at the United Nations.
"Ten days ago, President Trump wanted the United States of America to withdraw from Syria. We convinced him to remain," he said.
He added that France wants to involve Western powers, Russia and Turkey in a new diplomatic initiative to find a sustainable political solution in Syria.
Macron also offered to play the role of intermediary between the United States and Russia.
Asked about Macron's comments, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders stressed that Trump's plans for the region have not changed.
"The U.S. mission has not changed – the president has been clear that he wants U.S. forces to come home as quickly as possible," she said in a statement.
"We are determined to completely crush ISIS [Islamic State] and create the conditions that will prevent its return. In addition, we expect our regional allies and partners to take greater responsibility both militarily and financially for securing the region."
