Tillerson warns Moscow to abandon support for Syrian regime

● Boris Johnson fails to get agreement for targeted sanctions at G7 gathering

The US Secretary of State arrived in Moscow yesterday to warn Russia to abandon its support for Syria’s President Bashar Assad, insisting there is no future for his regime following the latest chemical attack on his own people.

Rex Tillerson made the journey after a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Italy called on Russia to promote a “real and genuine” political process in Syria and to use its influence to end the country’s bloody sixyear civil war.

However Russian President Vladimir Putin showed little inclination to respond to the US initiative, saying he was well aware of planned “provocations” to blame Syria’s government for using chemical weapons.

“It reminds me of the events in 2003 when US envoys to the Security Council were demonstrating what they said were chemical weapons found in Iraq,” he told reporters. “We have seen it all already.”

Following the G7 gathering in the Tuscan city of Lucca, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson insisted there was now an opportunity for Mr Putin to “reset” relations with the West and to join the Us-led coalition against Islamic State.

“They have a big strategic choice: Do they want to stick with this guy who is poisoning his own people and poisoning the reputation of Russia, or do they want to be part of the solution?” he said.

“Ofcourse,everybodyunderstands that Russia has political and strategic interests in Syria. All that can be respected. But at the same time, Russia needs an exit from this disaster in Syria.”

There was, however, no agreement among the ministers on a call by Mr Johnson for targeted sanctions against senior Russian and Syrian military figures implicated in last week’s chemical weapons attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun.

Italian foreign minister Angelino Alfano said: “We must have a dialogue with Russia and we must not push Russia into a corner.

“There is no consensus on additional new sanctions as an efficient instrument to deliver the goal we are aiming for.” Vladimir Putin, above, showed little inclination to respond to demands from US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, left, Boris Johnson, below, was in Italy for a G7 gathering