France has accused Syria and its allies of using political uncertainty in the US to launch “total war” against opposition-held areas in the country and called for new sanctions on Bashar al-Assad’s government for the use of chemical weapons. Making the accusations after a weekly cabinet session on Wednesday, Jean-Marc Ayrault, France’s foreign minister, said … Read more
US legislators have passed a bill that would sanction the government of Syria and its supporters, including Russia and Iran, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the country. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, imposing new sanctions on Syria and underscoring US determination to play a strong role … Read more
Syria’s leader has said he hopes US President-elect Donald Trump will be an ally in fighting terrorism but remains “cautious in judging him”. Bashar al-Assad said Mr Trump would be a “natural ally” if he fulfilled a campaign pledge to fight terrorism. But he said it was “dubious” whether Mr Trump could “live up to … Read more
Russia’s seat on the UN Human Rights Council is under threat due to its support of the Syrian government’s air campaign in Aleppo. More than 80 human rights and aid organisations, including Human Rights Watch, CARE International and Refugees International, have urged UN member states to drop Russia from the Human Rights Council over its … Read more
European Union leaders warned Russia at a summit on Thursday that they will consider sanctions over its role in the Syrian conflict if Moscow does not stop “crimes” in the devastated city of Aleppo. As the bloc’s 28 leaders met in Brussels for a crucial discussion on their future strategy to deal with Moscow, EU … Read more
A “humanitarian pause” announced by Russia is to formally come into effect in Syria’s city of Aleppo to allow civilians and rebels leave the city. Moscow earlier said air strikes by Russia and Syria’s government had been halted two days ahead of schedule. It also extended the pause by three hours, and suggested it could … Read more
President Vladimir Putin has dismissed suggestions that Russia could face war crimes charges over its bombardment of Syria’s second city Aleppo. He told French media the accusations were “rhetoric” that did not take into account the realities in Syria. French President Francois Hollande had suggested Russian air strikes on Aleppo could amount to war crimes. … Read more
A full year after Russia stepped into the Syrian quagmire on behalf of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Moscow has come to rival and challenge the US and NATO in virtually every arena possible. Here’s a quick glance at what Russia has accomplished just in the last month or so: Likely bombed a UN humanitarian aide … Read more
The US ambassador to the UN has accused Russia of “barbarism” over the bombing of the Syrian city of Aleppo. At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Samantha Power said Russia had told the council outright lies about its conduct in Syria. She said Russia and the Syrian regime were “laying waste to … Read more
UN chief Ban Ki-moon is “appalled by the chilling military escalation” in the embattled Syrian city of Aleppo, his spokesman says. Stephane Dujarric said the secretary-general was alarmed by reports of air strikes involving incendiary weapons and bunker-busting bombs. The Syrian government has stepped up strikes on rebel-held areas of the city since a ceasefire … Read more
The US government has expressed “outrage” over an attack on an aid convoy near the Syrian city of Aleppo that, a war monitor says, left 12 dead. The UN has confirmed that the convoy was hit near the town of Urm al-Kubra, without giving details. But activists say an air strike hit the trucks hours … Read more
The Syrian cease-fire agreed to last week by Russia and the United States has reduced violence in the short term, but there are troubling signs it may collapse like previous attempts to end the war, now in its sixth year. The crucial element of the agreement is a “cessation of hostilities” among all parties involved … Read more
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad prayed on Monday at a mosque in a Damascus suburb that was evacuated by rebels and surrendered to government control last month, state media reported. Assad visited the city of Daraya, southwest of Damascus, on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. Daraya had been a major symbol of the uprising against Assad, … Read more
Turkey and the EU have welcomed a nationwide truce for Syria brokered by the US and Russia but have warned that further action is needed. Turkey said aid must be delivered from the very start while EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini looked towards a “political transition”. The deal provides for a 10-day truce from … Read more