Johnson warning to Putin on crisis in Syria

Russia has ‘big strategic choice to make on stance’

FOREIGN SECRETARY Boris Johnson has warned Russia that it faces a “big strategic choice” over the deepening international crisis surrounding Syria despite Britain’s failure to secure the backing of other global leaders on plans to impose sanctions and intensify pressure on President Vladimir Putin.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Moscow for talks after a G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Italy yesterday called on Russia to promote a “real and genuine” political process in Syria and to use its influence to end the country’s bloody six-year civil war.

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.

And Mr Putin yesterday 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.”

After the G7 gathering in the Tuscan city of Lucca, Mr Johnson insisted there was now an opportunity for Mr Putin to “reset” relations with the West and to join the US-led coalition against the so-called 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.

“Of course, everybody understands 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.”

Mr Johnson insisted the option of sanctions remained on the table and said there would now be an investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Mr Tillerson, who is due to meet with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, said it was clear that the days of the Assad regime were numbered and that Moscow needed to decide whose side it was on.

“It is clear to all of us that the reign of the Assad family is coming to an end. But the question of how that ends and the transition itself could be very important in our view to the durability, the stability inside of a unified Syria,” he added.