Boris Johnson has failed to secure the backing of the G7 nations for swift sanctions against Russia and Syria, leaving the U.S./U.K. plan to pressurise Vladimir Putin in tatters.
Germany and Italy vetoed the idea of targeting Russian and Syrian military leaders until an investigation has been carried out into who was to blame for last week’s nerve gas attack in Idlib province.
The Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said Mr Putin ‘must not be pushed into a corner’, suggesting Italy may not support extra sanctions even if an investigation proves Assad was to blame.
On Monday night President Donald Trump and Theresa May said that there was ‘a window of opportunity’ to persuade Russia that ‘its allegiance with Assad is no longer in its strategic interest’, but it now seems that window is rapidly closing because of Germany and Italy’s lack of support.
The E.U. high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, is also understood to have been cool on the idea of sanctions.
It means Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, will fly to Moscow tonight with a hugely weakened hand.
This post was published at The Telegraph
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