Voices is the Dorset Echo's weekly youth page - written for young people by young people.

This week Oliver Streather-Paul tackles the relationship between the USA, Russia and Syria.

Russia has warned US president, Donald Trump that missiles fired into Syria will be shot down.

Trump, however, has remarked that missiles “will be coming, nice and new and smart.”

National leaders and the media have both been in disarray over the suspected chemical attacks in Douma – one of the last garrisons of rebel forces in Syria - where it is believed Assad’s forces deployed barrel bombs loaded with chemicals.

Two large rebel groups were taken out of the area by bus in late March following an agreement with the Syrian Government with only one group, Jaish al-Islam remaining.

So it must be asked, what strategic gain would using chemical weapons on an already encircled area hold – especially when Assad’s forces are so close to victory?

Whilst fighting in Syria has been horrific, with video footage emerging of Russian/Syrian aircraft using incendiary weapons to firebomb populated civilian areas (despite Russia signing a UN treaty prohibiting this in 1980), surely Assad would know deploying chemical weapons where civilians are present would aggravate the west. Downing Street has been hesitant in its action, as it states a chemical weapons attack has not been confirmed. But Trump was quick to take to social media to condemn the attacks, stating (to Russia): “You shouldn’t be partners with a gas killing animal who kills his people and enjoys it.”

President Trump later said: “Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Stop the arms race?” Whilst in the past, I have condemned Trump’s tweets, the latter was a sufficient attempt at reconciliation – despite the reason for this relationship being in lieu of threats of NATO intervention.

I believe the best way forward is for NATO not to interject in this situation – for the sole sake of preventing further bloodshed. Perhaps to also not make the situation any more complex than it already is to discuss.

Whilst 56 years ago, we had the Cuban Missile Crisis, we have been graced this week with the Syrian Smart Missile Situation.

Sadly, that doesn’t come off the tongue that well.

By Oliver Streather-Paul