G7 disagree on sanctions on Russia over Syria attack

 Lucca, Tuesday

G7 nations have failed to agree on a proposal by Britain for sanctions against Russia in the wake of a deadly chemical attack they say was carried out by Moscow’s ally, Syria.

Italy’s foreign minister said the group did not want to back Russia into a corner and preferred dialogue.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has moved on from the G7 meeting in Italy and has arrived in Moscow for talks.

He insisted Syria’s president could not play a part in the country’s future.

The G7 meeting in the Italian city of Lucca followed last week’s chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun that left 89 people dead.

Syria denied the attack but the US then carried out a retaliatory strike, firing 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase.

The two-day meeting of foreign ministers was aimed at hammering out a unified approach to Syria before Tillerson headed to Moscow.

But divisions arose as UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson proposed sanctions against Syrian and Russian military figures over the chemical attack.                             

BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins says Johnson had hoped for some form of explicit support, but the final G7 communique does not mention sanctions.

Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said ministers wanted to engage with Russia.

“We think the Russians have the leverage that is needed to put pressure on (President Bashar al-Assad)and to get him to observe the commitments with regard to the ceasefire,” he said.

Johnson denied he had suffered a defeat, saying there was support for sanctions if further evidence of the chemical attack were gathered.

One thing that did appear to unite the group was the future of Assad.

Tillerson summed it up, saying: “It is clear to all of us that the reign of the Assad family is coming to an end.”

He also won support over the retaliatory strike, which he called “necessary as a matter of US national security interest”.

“We do not want the regime’s uncontrolled stockpile of chemical weapons to fall into the hands of Isis [so-called Islamic State] or other terrorist groups who could and want to attack the United States or our allies,” he said.

Tillerson will meet Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday but it is unclear whether he will hold talks with President Vladimir Putin.

There were some conciliatory messages ahead of his arrival, with Moscow hoping for “constructive co-operation” with Washington.

Even Putin said he would tolerate Western criticism of Russia’s role in Syria, hoping that “eventually attitudes would become more positive”. —BBC

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