‘Russia must cease its attacks’
THE EU accused Russia yesterday of putting peace efforts at risk in Syria, calling on Moscow to stop bombing Westernbacked rebels, but failing to agree on a role for President Bashar al-Assad in resolving the crisis.
Seeking a common front in their criticism of Russia’s dramatic military intervention, EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, warned that air strikes designed to support Assad could also deepen the four-and-a-half-year civil war that had killed 250 000 people.
“The recent Russian military attacks… are of deep concern and must cease immediately,” ministers said in their most strongly-worded statement on Russia’s intervention.
“The military escalation risks prolonging the conflict, undermining a political process, aggravating the humanitarian situation and increasing radicalisation,” they said.
Incursions
EU leaders were also expected to criticise Russia at a summit in Brussels on Thursday, EU officials said.
After years of inaction in Syria, the 28-nation EU is now desperate to stem the flow of migrants. Its stark criticism of Russia underscores just how far diplomatic efforts have faltered since a UN meeting in New York last month, where Europe and the US looked to Russia for help.
Russian incursions into Turkish airspace and air strikes directed not at Islamic State militants, but at moderate opposition groups, had alienated the West, while leaving EU and UN diplomacy in disarray, diplomats said.
Plans have evaporated for a “contact group” working with Russia, the US, Iran and Saudi Arabia to find a post-conflict settlement, while EU diplomats have few ideas about how to find a political solution.
“All Assad’s main opponents are dead, in jail or in exile. And nobody wants another Libya,” said one EU diplomat involved in the discussions, referring to Libya’s collapse after its late leader, Muammar Gaddafi, was ousted.
The EU’s position on Assad remains unclear, with no agreement on whether he could play a role in agreeing to a ceasefire and paving the way for elections, or whether he should go into exile or be jailed.
Spain’s foreign minister reiterated Madrid’s view that the West would need to negotiate with Assad to stabilise Syria.
“Negotiations are done between enemies,” Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo told reporters.
But France, which is investigating Assad for war crimes, insisted that he must quit as soon as possible.
“For peace in Syria, we need a political transition. That must be done without Assad,” said France’s European Affairs Minister, Harlem Desir.
Britain said Assad could not be allowed to remain as president, but was willing to discuss how and when he might leave.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said yesterday that its military aircraft had carried out 55 attacks in Syria in the past 24 hours and hit 53 Islamic State targets there, Russian news agencies reported. – Reuters