UK Prime Minister: Pressure Must Be Applied on Russia to Change Its Behavior

Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the UK, states that pressure must be applied on Moscow to influence the Syrian central government and to end the bombing of civilians in Syria. She also spoke about the need to confront what she described as the 'increased assertiveness of Russia.' On December 8, following a meeting with her Polish counterpart, Beata Szydło, she said, 'Regarding Syria, we need to ensure that our interactions with the regime [in Damascus] will create the assurance that the horrific and deliberate bombing of innocent civilians [in that country] will stop.' The UK Prime Minister added, 'I think it is important that we apply international pressure on Russia to understand that its behavior in Syria, in relation to the deliberate bombings and support for the bombing of innocent civilians, is unacceptable.' In response to questions from reporters regarding the position of Donald Trump, the U.S. President-elect, she said, 'We must recognize that Russia's assertiveness is increasing, and I think it is necessary for us to work together to address this issue.' During his election campaign, Trump praised Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, on several occasions while competing against Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee. He also mentioned the possibility of cooperating with Moscow in the fight against ISIS in Syria, emphasizing that the destruction of extremists takes precedence over the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power. This stance is not entirely in line with the current U.S. government and its Western and Arab allies, who demand Assad's resignation as a solution to end the Syrian civil war. Therefore, it seems that many reporters were eager to hear the UK Prime Minister's position. London has traditionally been considered the most important Western ally of the U.S., and there are very close relations and cooperation between the United States and the UK. Prior to May's remarks, Michael Fallon, the UK Defense Minister, suggested in an interview with BBC Radio 4 that there might be differences between Trump's statements during his election campaign and his policies as the future President of the United States. Fallon stated, 'In practice, all U.S. administrations have stood against Russia.' The joint press conference of Theresa May alongside the Polish Prime Minister is also significant as Warsaw has repeatedly expressed concerns about the expansion of Russian influence at its eastern borders. The right-wing government of Poland, which is one of the most important military allies of the U.S. in Eastern and Central Europe, is known for its strongly anti-Russian policies. However, there are also notable differences among the current right-wing governments in Europe regarding Moscow. For example, the right-wing government in Hungary, which has close ties with the current government in Poland, is not considered an opponent of Russia. Viktor Orbán, the Prime Minister of Hungary, was among the first European leaders to congratulate Trump on his victory and spoke with him on the phone.