Boris Johnson threatens more sanctions on Moscow and urges Putin to ditch the ‘toxic’ Syrian regime which is ‘poisoning’ the reputation of Russia
BORIS JOHNSON has issued a firm choice to Russia's President Putin, urging him to work towards a political solution for peace in Syria, or continue to associate with "toxic" Assad who is "poisoning" his country's reputation.
The Foreign Secretary held talks with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other foreign ministers this afternoon where he said the US strike on a Syrian airbase last week had "changed the game".
Mr Johnson hailed the US response to a chemical attack which killed at least 90 last week.
He said there was "overwhelming support" for the American strike after Donald Trump said the chemical atrocity was an "affront to humanity".
And he confirmed that he was discussing extra sanctions on Syrian and Russian military figures to try and force a "new future" for the war-torn country.
The Foreign Secretary said in Italy this afternoon: "They have a choice.
"Stick like glue to the Assad regime with all that that entails, that toxic regime that poisons its own people and is poisoning the reputation of Russia...
"Or to work with the rest of the world... to find a political solution for Syria. That is what people are trying to achieve."
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This afternoon a rift opened up between Britain and the US - after Theresa May refused to back new strikes on Assad.
The US government has threatened further action, but Downing Street would only say the question of more strikes was "hypothetical" and that the focus was on building a "political solution to end the conflict".
He said he wanted to offer Russia a "way out" of the war.
“If I think about the position of Vladimir Putin now, he’s toxifying the reputation of Russia by his continual association with a guy who has flagrantly poisoned his own people.
“The world can see this, and the evidence is overwhelming – it is absolutely conclusive."
He went on: "What we’re trying to do is give Rex Tillerson the clearest possible mandate from us as the West, the UK and all our allies here, to say to the Russians this is your choice;
"Stick with that guy, stick with that tyrant – or work with us to find a better solution."
He defended his decision to pulled pout of talks in Moscow after it was put to him the Russians were mocking him.
And he said the reasons was that it was important for the “world to present a united front”, and said he didn’t want “any ambiguity of the message” delivered to Putin.