Syria: Powers await clarification on US posture

The focus of the G7 meeting is on US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who heads from the meeting directly to Moscow

Representatives of G7 member countries are taking part in an extraordinary meeting on Monday to discuss the escalation of the war in Syria and strategies to pressure Russia to withdraw its support for dictator Bashar Assad . The meeting will be attended by the foreign ministers of the United States , England , Canada , France , Germany , Japan and Italy , which hosts a meeting in the city of Lucca.

The meeting convened by the Italian minister, Angelino Alfano, should serve especially for US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to clarify to colleagues the American position regarding Russia. The United States government, in the hands of Donald Trump, has been willing to talk to the country of Vladimir Putin in recent months, but the “partnership” seems to be shaken by the  chemical attack in Syria , which left 89 dead. Assad’s ally, Putin is blamed by other nations for participating in rebels’ offensives, or neglect to curb the regime.

Over the weekend, Tillerson made the stiffest claim to Russia since the Trump administration began by telling CBS that “whether it was an accomplice, simply incompetent or cheated” by the Syrians, the country “failed in its commitment to International community “. The secretary commented, however, that there are no changes to the American stance in Syria, focused on ending the terrorist group Islamic State (EI) . His position differs from that of Nikki Haley, the United States ambassador to the United Nations , who said there will be no peace while Assad remains in power – just the opposite of what he said last week.

The G7 extraordinary meeting, which precedes the official summit in May, will also receive representatives from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar, which will serve to put pressure on the American secretary. The meeting of world leaders is a key moment especially for its date, which precedes Tillerson’s visit to Moscow on Tuesday, where he will meet with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov – the first live contact of a senior government official Trump with Russia.

Unlike Tillerson, Boris Johnson, the English minister, canceled a visit to Moscow and said his priority is to stay in touch with “the United States and others.” According to him, Russia must work with the international community to prevent the tragic attack from repeating itself and, therefore, the American secretary must “deliver this clear and coordinated message to the Russians.”