British Foreign Secretary asks G7 to tighten sanctions on Russia

(Baonghean.vn) -The British Foreign Secretary has asked his G7 colleagues to tighten sanctions against Russia if Moscow continues to support and back Damascus.

During the meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Lucca, Italy, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson suggested his colleagues further tighten sanctions against Russia if Moscow continues to support and back Damascus.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Photo: AP

"Britain will join Western countries in introducing strong new sanctions against Russia if it does not end its relationship with President Bashar al-Assad"

Secretary of State Johnson believes that President Donald Trump's use of 59 cruise missiles is the way to ease the suffering of Syria after more than 6 years of civil war.

At the meeting, Johnson wants G7 leaders to adopt a joint statement, suggesting that Russia should stop supporting the Bashar al-Assad regime and withdraw its troops from Syria.

"If President Vladimir Putin refuses the offer, in addition to sanctions for interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs, Russia will immediately face new sanctions for its activities in Syria. Certainly, at that time, Russian citizens will be the first to be affected" - the British Foreign Secretary affirmed.

The United States and the European Union have been continuously imposing sanctions on Russia since 2014 for the annexation of Crimea into Russia. The sanctions include trade, financial and military sectors such as: banning entry to EU countries and the United States for Russian diplomats and businessmen; freezing their assets... The sanctions are continuously expanded and prolonged.

On April 8, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson decided to postpone his visit to Moscow on April 10. According to the plan, this was the first visit by the head of the British Foreign Office to Russia in the past 5 years. Explaining the reason for postponing the trip, Mr. Johnson said that developments in Syria had changed the nature of the situation.

America and Russia

(According to TASS)