Russian President Vladimir Putin at his presidential residence outside Moscow, September 3, 2013/AFP
MOSCOW, Sep 4 – President Vladimir Putin Wednesday suggested Russia could approve military strikes against the Syrian regime if the West presented watertight evidence of chemical weapons crimes but warned the use of force without UN approval would be an “aggression”.
In an interview with state run Channel One television ahead of the G20 summit in Saint Petersburg this week, Putin sought to adopt a more conciliatory tone on the Syria crisis which had widened the rift between Russia and the West.
But in later comments at a Kremlin meeting with his human rights council, Putin warned the US Congress that it would be legitimising an “aggression” if it gave its blessing to military action.
Asked in the interview whether Russia would agree with US led military strikes if it was proven that the Syrian regime had carried out the chemical attack, Putin replied: “I do not exclude that.”
But he said it would be unacceptable for the West to go ahead with military action against the regime of Bashar al-Assad without the assent of the UN Security Council, where Russia has veto wielding permanent membership.
“Only the UN Security Council can give approval for the use of force against another state,” Putin said.
“Any other ways to justify the use of force against another sovereign and independent state are unacceptable and cannot be qualified as anything other than aggression,” Putin said.
Putin, speaking in the afternoon in the Kremlin, warned the US Congress against approving US military action outside the UN, which he said “in principle would be unacceptable”.
“They would be allowing an aggression since everything that is outside the framework of the UN Security Council is an aggression, unless it is self defence,” he said.
The United States has indicated it is prepared to go ahead with military action without UN approval, but President Barack Obama is first seeking approval from Congress which will push back the timetable until after the G20 which begins Thursday.
Speaking in Sweden ahead of travelling to the G20, Obama said he hoped Putin would change his position on Syria.
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