Boris Johnson in Rome, "Putin should stop provoking NATO"

Boris Johnson and Vladimir Putin

 ROME – British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson arrived for the Mediterranean Dialogues to discuss Russian President Putin's support for Syria, his "provoking NATO," (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), and the position of Anglo-Italian relations post-Brexit.

 Johnson claimed Putin, President of Russia, “cannot continue to provoke NATO and its allies.” According to the British Foreign Minister, Russia’s support towards the separatists of Eastern Ukraine and actions in Syria in favour of the Assad regime have caused endless amounts of damage and pain, as the Syrian President “has on his conscience 400,000 victims of war in five years.”

 In an interview with La Stampa newspaper, the fierce supporter of the Brexit campaign was asked about his view on friction between the Moscow Kremlin and NATO and whether sanctions should be continued. His response was strong and certain, clarifying, “The illegal accession of Crimea hasn’t been forgotten and the repeated provocations towards NATO cannot be tolerated. This is why the sanctions are an important tool as they represent a cost for Russia. We must continue to maintain them.”

 With respect to Putin, Johnson said, “NATO remains open to dialogue with Russia. Despite our differences, we need to continue to talk with Moscow, encouraging changes where there is no agreement and seeking cooperation wherever possible. But this approach will only work if Russia responds in the same manner.”

 On the topic of EU defence, the Foreign Minister said, “The UK will maintain its commitment to European defence and security in cooperation with our allies (…) But in order to make a difference, more European countries should reach the target of 2 percent of their GDP put towards military expenses, a target I hope Italy is working to meet.”

 On Brexit, Johnson stated, “I’m sure that the UK will be stronger once it leaves the EU, but I want a strong EU, which is in the interest of both the UK and the Europe. As Prime Minister May said, we want freedom for our businesses (…) but we will not renounce immigration controls and we will not accept the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.”

 The Foreign Secretary assured that “UK-Italy relations are excellent and we will continue to work together on a wide range of issues, from foreign policy to defence and security,” concluding with a statement on Syria: “A political transition without Assad is the only way to build a stable future for the country.”

 sw