The foreign ministers of France, Italy, Germany, the
United Kingdom, the United States and the High Representative of the European
Union have released the following joint statement:
The devastating
events in Syria this week underscore what we have been saying for some time:
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.
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.
The Quint nations and the European Union High Representative therefore call on
Russia to take extraordinary steps to restore the credibility of our 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. We welcome recent proposals made in the International Syria Support Group
to enhance monitoring of these efforts.
We reaffirm our
commitment to the destruction of Da'esh in Syria and Iraq and urge Russia to
follow through on its pledge to actually focus on this group. We also reaffirm
our shared view that the Nusra Front, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, is a
terrorist organization and an enemy of the international community. Nusra
rejects a negotiated political transition and inclusive democratic future for
Syria, and we call on all armed groups fighting in Syria to cease any
collaboration with Nusra.
We demand
immediate, expanded humanitarian access to all areas of Syria, including those
on the United Nations' priority list, and we deplore the delays and obstruction
caused primarily by the Syrian regime of humanitarian deliveries to Syrians in
desperate need. We fully support the United Nations investigations of the use
of chemical weapons in Syria and are resolved to take further action to address
it.
Finally, the
Quint and the EU High Representative reaffirm calls made in this week's
meetings of the International Syria Support Group for the Co-Chairs to continue
their diplomatic consultations on these issues, but also underscore that
patience with Russia's continued inability or unwillingness to adhere to its
commitments is not unlimited. We therefore also call on the UN Security
Council to take urgent further steps to address the brutality of this conflict,
and particularly the assault on Aleppo.
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