French foreign minister says Assad won Syrian war
Speaking on France-Inter radio on Sunday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has won the country's civil war but will not “win the peace” without a political solution aided by international mediators.
“Assad won the war, we have to state this. But he hasn’t won the peace,” Le Drian announced, Sputnik International reports.
According to the minister, the West would retaliate if сhemical weapons are used against civilians in the looming battle in the province of Idlib.
He further claimed that even if the government's forces managed to retake Idlib – the last terrorist stronghold – it would not solve the problems that triggered the war seven years ago.
Le Drian also added that France will use this month’s UN General Assembly to push for a peaceful solution in Syria, and is currently involved in negotiations with the guarantors of peace in the region – Russia, Turkey and Iran – to push them to use their clout with Assad to make political talks happen after the war is over.
In late August, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Paris was ready to conduct further airstrikes against Syria if Damascus were to use chemical weapons.
"We will continue acting this way if we see new confirmed cases of the chemical weapons use," Macron said.
The French president later stated that he feared a grave humanitarian crisis in Idlib, saying that France expected Russia and Turkey to pressure the Syrian government over the situation in the province.
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