EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, the German, French, UK and Italian foreign ministers and the United States secretary of state toughened their stance against Russia on Saturday 24 September, calling on it to do what was necessary to restore the cessation of hostilities in Syria.
“The burden is on Russia to prove it is willing and able to take extraordinary steps to salvage diplomatic efforts to restore a cessation of hostilities (CoH), allow unfettered humanitarian assistance and create the conditions necessary for the resumption of UN-led talks about a political transition”, they assert in a joint statement. They also made clear that “patience with Russia’s continued inability or unwillingness to adhere to its commitments is not unlimited”.
They call on Russia to “take extraordinary steps” to restore the credibility of international efforts, “including by halting the indiscriminate bombing by the Syrian regime of its own people, which has continually and egregiously undermined efforts to end this war”.
The Western ministers say the “outrageous” bombing of a humanitarian convoy, the Syrian regime’s public denunciation of the CoH, continuing reports that the regime is using chemical weapons, and “the unacceptable ongoing regime offensive on eastern Aleppo, supported by Russia, blatantly contradicts Russia’s claim that it supports a diplomatic resolution” to the Syrian crisis. They state, too, that they fully support the United Nations investigations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria and “are resolved to take further action to address it”.
Reaffirming their commitment to “the destruction” of Da’esh, the EU and American ministers urge Russia “to follow through on its pledge to actually focus on this group”. They also demand immediate, expanded humanitarian access to all areas of Syria.
Further, in a press release published on 24 September Mogherini and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Christos Stylianides “call on all those countries with influence on the regime, as well as those with contacts among the armed opposition, to apply the maximum pressure to cease the attacks, allow unhindered and continuous humanitarian access to those in need, and resume political negotiations (…) as swiftly as possible”. They state that the EU will review the additional action it can take to bring all parties to the negotiating table.
The rhetoric was further ratcheted up at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Sunday 25 September when US Ambassador Samantha Power accused Russia of “barbarism”, a comment criticised by Russia on Monday 26. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura appealed to the Security Council to “develop a common course of action to enforce a cessation of hostilities in Syria”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)