UK should look at 'military options' in Syria, says FM

LONDON

British Prime Minister Theresa May Thursday dismissed Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's comments calling on the U.K. to consider military action in Syria.

"There are no plans for military action. We are working with the international community to look at how to bring the conflict to an end," said a spokesperson for May.

Earlier Thursday, speaking to British lawmakers ahead of a high-level meeting of foreign ministers to consider new options for Syria, Johnson said, "It is right now that we should be looking again at the more kinetic options, the military options." But he added, "We can't do anything without a coalition.”

Johnson said most people had been changing their minds about intervention. "They’re thinking we can’t let this go on forever," he said. "Certainly people want to see a new set of options.”

Talks with Russia have “run out of road,” Johnson also said, claiming that Sunday’s meeting of foreign ministers – to include U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry – would “canvass all the options”.

On Tuesday, Johnson had called for Russia to be investigated for war crimes over its role in Syria and for protests to take place outside Moscow’s Embassy. However, Johnson said on Thursday the U.K. does not want an “endless confrontation” with Russia.

Asked about Turkish-Kurdish relations, Johnson said: “Clearly, Turks have concerns about some groups of Kurds.

“They [the Turkish government] make no distinction between the YPG and PKK for instance, whereas the Americans see things differently.”

However, Johnson said everybody “including the Turks” agrees on the importance of Iraqi Kurds who had driven “Daesh out of their bits of Iraq”.