Tipsheet

Nikki Haley Responds to Reports She Was 'Confused' About Russia Sanctions

Update: Larry Kudlow has apologized to Ambassador Haley, according to New York Times reporter Julie Davis.

ORIGINAL POST

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley told the press on Sunday that the Trump administration was going to issue another round of sanctions against Russia on Monday. It was going to be retaliation for the Kremlin's efforts in blocking action against Syria for its latest chemical attack.

The media wanted to know more about the imminent sanctions. Yet, newly tinted National Economic Council chairman Larry Kudlow scaled back Haley's words on Tuesday, suggesting that she spoke prematurely.

"She got ahead of the curve," he said. "Very great ambassador – but might have gotten confused. Additional sanctions are under consideration but not implemented."

In a statement provided to CNN, Haley said, politely, that that is not the case.

Certainly, Haley has not left any room for confusion as to where she and the Trump administration stand on Russia's relationship with Syria. Russia, the ambassador claimed, has "unilateral responsibility" for using chemical weapons in Syria.

"What is strange is that Russia is ignoring the real threat to international peace and security that has brought us here," she said at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday. "And it is ignoring its own unilateral responsibility for it. What we should discuss today is the use of deadly chemical weapons to murder innocent Syrian civilians."

Shortly after that meeting, Trump informed Americans that we had launched a successful strike against Syria.