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EU Considering Syria Sanctions, But Not Against Russia

by Chris Hannas

   European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says the EU is
   not considering sanctioning Russia over its actions in Syria.

   "This has not been proposed by any member state," she told reporters
   Monday in Luxembourg.

   Mogherini said there are discussions about sanctions against members of
   Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, and stressed the need
   for those who have an influence on the various players in the conflict
   to find a way to talk and seek solutions.

   Her comments came a day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned
   of possible sanctions related to the situation in Syria and harshly
   criticized Russia's military actions there.

   Syria was a focus during his talks Sunday with British Foreign
   Secretary Boris Johnson and Saturday meetings with Russian Foreign
   Minister Sergei Lavrov and other diplomats.

   Kerry said Sunday the officials are disturbed and outraged by the
   devastation that has hit the northern city of Aleppo.

   "This is the largest humanitarian disaster since World War II. And it
   could stop tomorrow morning, tonight, if Russia and the Assad regime
   would behave according to any norm or any standard of decency. But
   they've chosen not to," he said.

   Kerry said he and other ministers have to exhaust every possibility to
   find a way to halt the fighting. Multiple previous cease-fires have
   broken down throughout the more than five years of war in Syria,
   including one last month focused on Aleppo.

   "We're going to continue to work at this because no one has a right to
   just walk away and allow Aleppo to continue to be bombed without making
   every effort possible in order to stop it," he said.