Western powers do not want escalation in Syria: Germany

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

Western powers do not want to see further military escalation in Syria and fully back the U.S.-led efforts for a political solution to the conflict, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters in Lucca, Italy, after a meeting with his counterparts from the G7 nations, Gabriel renewed his support for the U.S.’s response to a chemical attack in Syria last week by hitting a Syrian regime military air base.

“I am glad to see a very clear stance by the U.S., as it has sent a very strong message to the al-Assad regime by its military strike, but also signaled that it doesn’t want an escalation, rather it is seeking to reach out to Russia,” he said.

Gabriel said the U.S. Secretary of State Tillerson had the full support of the G7 nations, which includes Germany, Britain, Canada, France, Italy and Japan, ahead of his talks in Moscow on Wednesday.

“All G7 states do not want military escalation but a political solution without a new spiral of violence. We would like to win the support of Russia for reaching a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict,” he said.

Gabriel also underlined that Iran, a major ally of the Assad regime, should be involved to ensure the success of talks for a political solution to the civil war in Syria.

Ties between Moscow and Washington became tense after the U.S. hit a Syrian military air base last week in response to deadly chemical attack by the regime forces.

Russia regarded the U.S. missile strikes as an "act of aggression" against a sovereign state delivered in violation of international law under a "far-fetched pretext".