A US administration long accused of being obsequious towards Russia is now facing warnings that its new tougher tone is pushing the country towards a possible conflict with Moscow.
After spending the first 15 months of his administration facing criticism for being too fond of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump has dramatically changed tack following the poisoning of an ex-Russia spy in the UK and the alleged use of chemical weapons by Syria.
Last week, the White House announced its toughest sanctions against Russia — a move Mr Trump did not block. This week, Mr Trump turned to Twitter to attack Mr Putin for his support of Bashar al-Assad and to advise Russian forces in Syria to be “ready” for US missiles.