“NO ONE WANTS TO START WORLD WAR III OVER THE SYRIANS’ PLIGHT”
Ihor SEMYVOLOS, executive director of the Center for Middle East Studies, Kyiv:
“Why is the world unable to stop the massacres in Aleppo? In this particular situation, no one can do anything substantial. It is due to circumstances of superior force. The system of international security which we have now is led by the UN Security Council, where one of the key participants in this tragedy has a veto power. Due to it, we see these things happening, because no one wants to start World War III over the Syrians’ plight. Among the European leaders, not a single one can decide on taking a more active role in the Syrian conflict. This is a complex problem. Moreover, the rebels who fought in Aleppo are pictured negatively and alleged to be close to the Islamic State.
“I think we will soon forget about the numerous demonstrations currently taking place in the world in protest against the atrocities in Aleppo. Of course, those who have suffered from it and will seek the truth will not forget, but the world will not care, seeing that Christmas and New Year are approaching.
“Interestingly, despite the harsh statements of the Turkish representative in the EU who speaks about genocide being committed in Aleppo, the Turks are among the least concerned about this situation. To be frank, they have never really liked the Arabs. They will talk all they can, but will not do anything, because the Turks have an agreement with the Russians. The Turks have themselves abandoned the Syrians to the Russians.
“As for Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande’s call for action to end the atrocities in Aleppo, they cannot do anything apart from calling. The time of outstanding personalities who ruled Europe and the world over the past 25 years has passed. This is the time of charismatic leaders, perhaps.
TWITTER NIGAR DOGRU
“Looking into people who Donald Trump appoints to his Cabinet, including to the position of secretary of state, I do not think he will be that much worried about the fate of the Syrians. It should be noted that the oil factor does not play a significant role in Syria. Still, there are several oil fields there, located near Palmyra.
“What conclusions should Ukraine draw from the situation prevailing in Syria? Looking at how the world reacts to events in Aleppo, we have to understand: it will be the same with us if we lose.”
Interviewed by Mykola SIRUK, The Day
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Iryna HERASHCHENKO, First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada:
“These photos from Aleppo are just unbearable to watch. Bashar Assad and his regime are war criminals, just like Vladimir Putin’s regime that is sponsoring them. Meanwhile, the world is expressing deep concern, but is not acting. I am crying over these terrible pictures. And I understand that Russia’s impunity and cynicism in Syria are really hitting Ukraine hard, because they mean that the world will not respond to them holding our people hostage, daily shellings in the Donbas, and human rights violations in Crimea. The world is content to loudly proclaim its concern at high-level gatherings but is not acting to stop this hell.”
«ALEPPO IS A HUMANITARIAN DISASTER AND A MORAL ONE FOR THE WEST»
Roland Freudenstein, Deputy Director and Head of Research at Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, Brussels:
Aleppo is a humanitarian disaster and a moral one for the West. Cynicism wins, for the moment. Europe is deeply divided over an answer to Russian war crimes in Syria. And it looks like moral leadership from the US will be lacking for the upcoming years. I'm sure Merkel and Hollande are in favour of tougher sanctions on Russia but many EU member states, anticipating Trump's lifting of US sanctions, want to lift the EU sanctions now. So it'll be an interesting fight in the Council tomorrow. At best, the EU sanctions will be prolongued one more time (with the unspoken agreement that by summer 2017, they'll be lifted for good).
All that's happening is that the atrocities are documented, and the perpetrators named, for possible trial in the future.
