U.K.’s Boris Johnson cancels Moscow trip over Syria

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson canceled a planned trip to Moscow after stating "developments in Syria have changed the situation fundamentally" and therefore his priority is to continue contact with the United States and other countries to provide international support for a ceasefire. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

April 9 (UPI) — British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was set to travel to Moscow on Monday, but decided to cancel the trip, stating that “developments in Syria have changed the situation fundamentally.”

His decision came after United States President Donald Trump ordered the firing of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles into a west Syrian airfield believed to be the source of a deadly chemical attack this week that killed and injured hundreds of men, women and children.

Johnson said his priority was to continue contact with the United States and other countries to provide international support for a ceasefire in the days leading up to the G7 meeting on April 10 and 11.

He said he planned to gather a group of other “like-minded partners” in order to “explore next steps soon.”

Johnson also denounced Russia’s defense of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and said the U.K. had called on Russia to work toward a political settlement in Syria.

“We deplore Russia’s continued defense of the Assad regime even after the chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians,” he said. “We call on Russia to do everything possible to bring about a political settlement in Syria and work with the rest of the international community to ensure that the shocking events of the last week are never repeated.”

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