Is the West resigned to the fall of eastern Aleppo?
- 7 years ago
High-level meetings in Paris, Geneva
Little optimism about eastern Aleppo
Russia and Syria should “show a little grace” – John Kerry
Foreign ministers from the US, UK, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Jordan have met in Paris to discuss the situation in Aleppo.
They were joined by Riad Hijab, a main Syrian opposition figure.
US Secretary of State John Kerry had talks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, among others.
Discussions stillongoing: FM #Steinmeier w/ JohnKerry jeanmarcayrault BorisJohnson atinternational meeting on #Syria in #Paris. #Aleppo pic.twitter.com/91OsMNzw7T— GermanForeignOffice(GermanyDiplo) December10, 2016
US and Russian military experts and diplomats are also meeting in Geneva to discuss the situation in the east of the Syrian city.
Russia, US willdiscussmilitants' pulloutfrom#Aleppo during#Geneva meeting on December10 – #Lavrov https://t.co/o1aaquYiYl #Syria pic.twitter.com/GHHlzQMJAW— Sputnik(@SputnikInt) December8, 2016
What did they say?
Judging by their comments to the press, ministers seem resigned to the fall of eastern Aleppo.
“The battle for Aleppo is not aiming to defeat terrorism but to try to eradicate all political opposition, and they aim above all to use violence to shore up a dictator who is scorned,” France’s Jean-Marc Ayrault told reporters.
“The goal is to liquidate the opposition, much more than to fight the Al-Nusra Front, like we are,” Ayrault added.
“We haven’t abandoned Aleppo,” said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, “and we haven’t given up and we’re going to do whatever we can to find solutions.”
“Russia and Assad have a moment here where they are obviously in a dominant position,” the US Secretary of State John Kerry told the press briefing.
“They have an ability to able to show a little bit of grace. And sometimes in diplomacy a little grace goes a long way.”
What France says
Beyond the issue of humanitarian access, France’s
Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Moscow and Damascus need to realise that the fall of Aleppo would not end the war.
Negotiations based on UN Security Council resolutions agreed in December 2015 should be revived to find a political solution, he added.
In a series of tweets, Ayrault explained the challenges the diplomats face.
La première urgence à Alep et dans toute la Syrie est l'arrêt des combats, l'arrêt des bombardements et l'accès de l'aide humanitaire— Jean-Marc Ayrault (@jeanmarcayrault) December 10, 2016
“The first thing we must do in Aleppo and across all of Syria is stop the fighting, the bombardments and allow access for humanitarian aid,” Ayrault said.
La deuxième urgence est de définir les conditions d’une vraie transition politique, apte à garantir l’avenir d’une Syrie en paix— Jean-Marc Ayrault (@jeanmarcayrault) December 10, 2016
Little optimism about eastern Aleppo
Russia and Syria should “show a little grace” – John Kerry
Foreign ministers from the US, UK, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Jordan have met in Paris to discuss the situation in Aleppo.
They were joined by Riad Hijab, a main Syrian opposition figure.
US Secretary of State John Kerry had talks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, among others.
Discussions stillongoing: FM #Steinmeier w/ JohnKerry jeanmarcayrault BorisJohnson atinternational meeting on #Syria in #Paris. #Aleppo pic.twitter.com/91OsMNzw7T— GermanForeignOffice(GermanyDiplo) December10, 2016
US and Russian military experts and diplomats are also meeting in Geneva to discuss the situation in the east of the Syrian city.
Russia, US willdiscussmilitants' pulloutfrom#Aleppo during#Geneva meeting on December10 – #Lavrov https://t.co/o1aaquYiYl #Syria pic.twitter.com/GHHlzQMJAW— Sputnik(@SputnikInt) December8, 2016
What did they say?
Judging by their comments to the press, ministers seem resigned to the fall of eastern Aleppo.
“The battle for Aleppo is not aiming to defeat terrorism but to try to eradicate all political opposition, and they aim above all to use violence to shore up a dictator who is scorned,” France’s Jean-Marc Ayrault told reporters.
“The goal is to liquidate the opposition, much more than to fight the Al-Nusra Front, like we are,” Ayrault added.
“We haven’t abandoned Aleppo,” said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, “and we haven’t given up and we’re going to do whatever we can to find solutions.”
“Russia and Assad have a moment here where they are obviously in a dominant position,” the US Secretary of State John Kerry told the press briefing.
“They have an ability to able to show a little bit of grace. And sometimes in diplomacy a little grace goes a long way.”
What France says
Beyond the issue of humanitarian access, France’s
Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Moscow and Damascus need to realise that the fall of Aleppo would not end the war.
Negotiations based on UN Security Council resolutions agreed in December 2015 should be revived to find a political solution, he added.
In a series of tweets, Ayrault explained the challenges the diplomats face.
La première urgence à Alep et dans toute la Syrie est l'arrêt des combats, l'arrêt des bombardements et l'accès de l'aide humanitaire— Jean-Marc Ayrault (@jeanmarcayrault) December 10, 2016
“The first thing we must do in Aleppo and across all of Syria is stop the fighting, the bombardments and allow access for humanitarian aid,” Ayrault said.
La deuxième urgence est de définir les conditions d’une vraie transition politique, apte à garantir l’avenir d’une Syrie en paix— Jean-Marc Ayrault (@jeanmarcayrault) December 10, 2016