Syria War: G7 Seeks United Front on Assad and Russia

The search for a unified approach to the Syria conflict after last week’s suspected chemical attack looked set to dominate as talks between G7 nations got under way in Italy on Monday. Foreign ministers are focusing on how to pressure Russia to distance itself from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The search for a unified approach to the Syria conflict after last week’s suspected chemical attack looked set to dominate as talks between G7 nations got under way in Italy on Monday.

Foreign ministers are focusing on how to pressure Russia to distance itself from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Allies will also be seeking clarity from the US on its Syria policy, after some apparently mixed messages. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson strongly criticised Russia on Sunday.

He said that it had failed to prevent Syria from carrying out a chemical attack on the rebelheld town of Khan Sheikhoun last Wednesday which left 89 people dead.

But he also clarified there had been “no change to our military posture” in Syria following a retaliatory US strike against a Syrian airbase, and that Washington’s “first priority” in Syria was to defeat so-called Islamic State (IS).

Those comments came a day after the US ambassador to the United Nations said there was no way to stabilise Syria with Mr Assad as president.

“In no way do we see peace in that area with Assad as the head of the Syrian government,” Nikki Haley told NBC’s Meet the Press.

However, she had said last week that Mr Assad’s removal was no longer a US priority.

Ahead of the meeting of G7 foreign ministers in the city of Lucca, in Tuscany, on Monday, Mr Tillerson took part in an international wreath-laying ceremony to remember those killed in a Nazi massacre of villagers at Sant’Anna di Stazzema in 1944.

He drew a parallel to last week’s chemical attack, saying: “We rededicate ourselves to holding to account any and all who commit crimes against the innocents anywhere in the world.”

Shortly before the talks got under way, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said further sanctions against Syrian and even Russian military officials would be discussed, and that President Vladimir Putin risked “toxifying the reputation of Russia” in its continued support of Mr Assad.