London – Washington raised the tone of its rhetoric with Moscow on Monday when White House national security adviser Herbert McMaster said it was time for tough talks with Russia over its support for Syria’s regime and its “subversive” actions in Europe.

Speaking to ABC News, McMaster said Russia’s backing of the Bashar Assad regime has spread a civil war and created a crisis in Iraq, neighboring countries and Europe, according to Reuters.

“So Russia’s support for that kind of horrible regime, that is a party to that kind of a conflict, is something that has to be drawn into question as well as Russia’s subversive actions in Europe,” McMaster said. “And so I think it’s time though, now, to have those tough discussions Russia.”

The strong US rhetoric with Moscow was also manifested on Monday in another statement delivered by a US State Department representative who told Ria Novosti that his country will not participate in a tripartite meeting, which includes Russia, the US and the UN, that Moscow has called for in Geneva to discuss the Syrian file.

“The US welcomes UN-sponsored Syrian talks with Russia, but we have no plans to hold a tripartite meeting in the near future,” the official said.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump ordered a cruise missile attack at the Shayrat air base in Syria to stop the regime from using chemical weapons against its people. Syria denied using chemical weapons.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the “Euphrates Shield” incursion into northern Syria would not be its last military operation in the region.

Speaking Monday to supporters from the steps of the presidential palace in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey would carry out as many military operations as necessary, wherever necessary, in its fight against terrorism.