UK's Johnson cancels Moscow visit after Syria gas attack

[rooster59]

UK's Johnson cancels Moscow visit after Syria gas attack

 

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson answers a question during a joint press conference with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias (not pictured) following their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Athens, Greece, April 6, 2017. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday he had cancelled a visit to Moscow due to take place on April 10 after developments in Syria where a poison gas attack in a rebel-held area prompted the United States to launch missile strikes.

 

"Developments in Syria have changed the situation fundamentally," Johnson said in a statement.

 

"My priority is now to continue contact with the U.S. and others in the run-up to the G7 meeting on 10-11 April - to build coordinated international support for a ceasefire on the ground and an intensified political process."

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-04-09

[craigt3365]

20 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

"My priority is now to continue contact with the U.S. and others in the run-up to the G7 meeting on 10-11 April - to build coordinated international support for a ceasefire on the ground and an intensified political process."

Hasn't that been going on for years?  With zero progress.

[DILLIGAD]

I suppose that will save him putting his 'size 9's' in his mouth whilst on Russian soil.

 

 

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[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"Developments in Syria have changed the situation fundamentally," Johnson said in a statement.

Yeah they might have pulled the gold plate special treatment and served your dinner plate with the servants. No borscht for you Boris. 

[dunroaming]

Question is... How much of the cancelled trip is down to the USA requesting it?

[pitrevie]

They must have been shattered at the news, that will teach them.

[Andaman Al]

I bet Putin had him booked in to the same hotel as Trump was in with camera's ready to roll. 

[RuamRudy]

Funnily enough, the relentless bombing of Yemeni civilians by the Saudis didn't stop Theresa May popping down to Riyadh last week. Maybe dead Yemeni children are less important than dead Syrian children.

[stevenl]

Changed situation, all the more reason to go and talk.

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[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, dunroaming said:

Question is... How much of the cancelled trip is down to the USA requesting it?

I seriously doubt Boris would bow to a request like that.  He's been very critical of Russia for a long time.  For good reasons.  Easy to research his feelings on this.

[craigt3365]

25 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Funnily enough, the relentless bombing of Yemeni civilians by the Saudis didn't stop Theresa May popping down to Riyadh last week. Maybe dead Yemeni children are less important than dead Syrian children.

And how many children have been gassed in Yemen?  How many have died there compared to Syria?  Hint: orders of magnitude of difference.  So yes, Syria is more important to solve.

[RuamRudy]

30 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

And how many children have been gassed in Yemen?  How many have died there compared to Syria?  Hint: orders of magnitude of difference.  So yes, Syria is more important to solve.

Then, as stevenl commented, the best course of action would be a continuation of dialogue, not stonewalling. But my point was less to do with scoring atrocities, and more about the UK government and their apparent willingness to overlook war crimes when they can make a few bob out of them.

[craigt3365]

22 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Then, as stevenl commented, the best course of action would be a continuation of dialogue, not stonewalling. But my point was less to do with scoring atrocities, and more about the UK government and their apparent willingness to overlook war crimes when they can make a few bob out of them.

And how many years has dialog already been ongoing?  At least 4 with ZERO results.  Stonewalling on the part of Russia and Syria.  Many are getting fed up.  Sadly....

 

Yemen is a mess and Saudi Arabia is at fault.  This religious conflict in the ME is a terrible thing.  Even though it's more than just about religion.  A mess!

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

And how many children have been gassed in Yemen?  How many have died there compared to Syria?  Hint: orders of magnitude of difference.  So yes, Syria is more important to solve.

actually it's all part of the same war: to defeat Shia and shia backed regimes. And as for the direness of the situation in Yemen maybe you better take a look at this:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/02/yemen-children-starve-as-war-drags-on.html

ANd Saudi Arabia is being aided and abetted massively by the USA.

[craigt3365]

2 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

actually it's all part of the same war: to defeat Shia and shia backed regimes. And as for the direness of the situation in Yemen maybe you better take a look at this:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/02/yemen-children-starve-as-war-drags-on.html

ANd Saudi Arabia is being aided and abetted massively by the USA.

Agreed and understood.  Luckily, the US is condemning what SA is doing there.  Sadly, it's not enough for the people of Yemen.  Iran needs to get out also.

[ilostmypassword]

9 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Agreed and understood.  Luckily, the US is condemning what SA is doing there.  Sadly, it's not enough for the people of Yemen.  Iran needs to get out also.

What in the world are you talking about? It's true Obama pulled back a bit - a bit - in his support but the Trump administration is now 100% behiind the Saudis.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/326767-trump-signals-deeper-us-involvement-in-yemen

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, dunroaming said:

Question is... How much of the cancelled trip is down to the USA requesting it?

Zero. Tillerson hasn't cancelled his trip next week to see Putin.

Why would the US ask, apart from that being very inappropriate, the UK to cancel its trip. The problem now for Boris and the UK is what is Trump's political strategyfor Syria beyond the so-called one-time attack? Trump himself hasn't answered that question and whatever the answer is will surely change the US and Europe's relationship with Putin. Best to let Tillerson make the lead meeting and see how "the political winds blow."

[craigt3365]

11 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

What in the world are you talking about? It's true Obama pulled back a bit - a bit - in his support but the Trump administration is now 100% behiind the Saudis.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/326767-trump-signals-deeper-us-involvement-in-yemen

Trump changes his mind often.  Look at what's happening in Syria. 

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/09/middleeast/syria-missile-strike-chemical-attack-aftermath/index.html

Quote

US envoy Nikki Haley says Syria regime change is 'inevitable'

 

[Andaman Al]

To be honest Johnson cancelling this trip was a completely stupid thing to do. When super powers are mixing it (and the UK is not in that club!) you don't go in as a smallee trying to make yourself appear bigger or better than you are. Russia is now taking the pi*s out of the UK, saying "so what, - we don't really need to talk to you anyway". I doubt the UK will get another invite to Russia for the next 10 years now anyway. I am not sure what the British Government were trying to say, but if they are pee'd off about the chemical attacks then it would have been better to go face to face to Moscow and say it and negotiate. The UK just weakened it's already weak position immensely.

[Thongkorn]

1 hour ago, Andaman Al said:

To be honest Johnson cancelling this trip was a completely stupid thing to do. When super powers are mixing it (and the UK is not in that club!) you don't go in as a smallee trying to make yourself appear bigger or better than you are. Russia is now taking the pi*s out of the UK, saying "so what, - we don't really need to talk to you anyway". I doubt the UK will get another invite to Russia for the next 10 years now anyway. I am not sure what the British Government were trying to say, but if they are pee'd off about the chemical attacks then it would have been better to go face to face to Moscow and say it and negotiate. The UK just weakened it's already weak position immensely.

By the tone of your post you don't like little Britain. The one with Nuclear Wepons. The worlds strongest soft power. Putin has hated Britain for long enough along with many other jelouse Nations. Britain has proved Putin and Russia Have lied many times. 

 

Edited April 9, 2017 by Thongkorn

[Andaman Al]

33 minutes ago, Thongkorn said:

By the tone of your post you don't like little Britain. The one with Nuclear Wepons. The worlds strongest soft power. Putin has hated Britain for long enough along with many other jelouse Nations. Britain has proved Putin and Russia Have lied many times. 

 

How funny. I love Britain, spent 25 years flying for Queen and Country in aircraft capable of carrying the things you mention. I know EXACTLY how big we are and the fact that we have a tendency to try and punch way above our weight. Johnsons move was embarrassing in the extreme for the UK and that is something that after being willing to lay down my life for the country, I take very seriously indeed. There is nothing in my post to suggest a tone that dislikes Britain, but there is definitely a tone to suggest that I believe the move by the British Government was stupid and the Russian response highlighted our place on the world stage - nowhere! Johnson and the UK Government should never have given the Russians the opportunity or satisfaction of belittling the Country I sweated blood and tears for. Is that a bit clearer now?

 

The worlds 'strongest soft power' is a title of irrelevance when we have been cut back so much we can now no longer effectively support any more out of area deployments. Our days of deploying any significant forces world wide to contribute in any significant way are gone forever unless a political miracle happens.  As an example, if the Argentinians really wanted the Falklands back and they got their crap together then the UK could do NOTHING about it, whether they have nukes or not. If there was another Iraq (Iran is becoming more likely)  we could make no contribution of any remote significance.

Edited April 9, 2017 by Andaman Al

[Morch]

Maybe it's indeed a size thing.

[janclaes47]

6 hours ago, Andaman Al said:

I bet Putin had him booked in to the same hotel as Trump was in with camera's ready to roll. 

 

Of course the CIA would never do that, they put the cameras at your office.

[Andaman Al]

2 hours ago, Morch said:

Maybe it's indeed a size thing.

Size matters   

[ilostmypassword]

11 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Trump changes his mind often.  Look at what's happening in Syria. 

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/09/middleeast/syria-missile-strike-chemical-attack-aftermath/index.html

 

Not in this case. It's clear that this is all part of an anti-Iranian campaign headed by MacMaster and Mattis. While the real threat to the Muslim world - Salafi fanaticism - is in effect being supported by the Trump administration.

[champers]

19 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

Funnily enough, the relentless bombing of Yemeni civilians by the Saudis didn't stop Theresa May popping down to Riyadh last week. Maybe dead Yemeni children are less important than dead Syrian children.

Saudi Arabia  has oil and buys arms from the UK and high-end property in the UK.

[DILLIGAD]

Saudi Arabia  has oil and buys arms from the UK and high-end property in the UK.

(Most of London)


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[champers]

5 minutes ago, DILLIGAD said:

(Most of London)


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Along with our new best friends in China (those virulent anti-Socislists can't help themselves cosying up to the one-party Communist Chinese). Russians and even Thais invest heavily. No money laundering, of course. Perish the thought.

[Baerboxer]

On 4/9/2017 at 7:52 AM, craigt3365 said:

Hasn't that been going on for years?  With zero progress.

 

Yeah, but Boris really has no idea what goes on in the world and not much contact with reality.

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, champers said:

Saudi Arabia  has oil and buys arms from the UK and high-end property in the UK.

 

Modern day politics has little to do with truth, democracy, justice, ethics, and everything to do with money, power and following your own agenda.

 

Not sure it was quite this bad in the past, but probably not far off.