US Secretary of State John Kerry’s heat-of-the-moment comment that a military strike on Syria could be avoided if all chemical weapons were turned over was a diplomatic gift to Russia, and it responded with alacrity. Not usually noted for its diplomatic dexterity, the Kremlin quickly proposed compelling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime to join the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and to place its chemical-weapons stockpile under United Nations control.
美国国务卿克里发表了热情洋溢的评论——军事打击叙利亚可以避免，只要它交出所有化学武器。这对俄罗斯来说是一份外交大礼，俄罗斯也马上给予了积极的回应。克里姆林宫以罕见的外交敏捷立刻建议强迫叙利亚总统巴沙尔·阿萨德政权加入化学武器公约（CWC），并让联合国接管其化学武器库。