“EU policy since the beginning of the conflict in Syria has proven totally irresponsible with regard to the Syrian population. Supplying weapons and funding armed groups is the path to further tragedy, a prolonged conflict and makes a political solution impossible. The EU must reinstate the embargo on the export of arms to Syria,” she said, adding that the GUE/NGL has “consistently condemned both the human rights violations by the Syrian regime against its population and the violence used by the armed opposition groups since the start of this civil war situation”. She also raised concerns about the spill over effects of the conflict on the region.

Spanish MEP Willy Meyer insisted that there can be no other solution but an agreed political one and that the future destiny of Syria “must rest firmly in the hands of the Syrian people, without any external interference or military intervention”.

“I would have expected the EU to be wiser after the tragedy in Libya. The arming of the various groups aiming to overturn the regime, which constituted an open intervention, has led to an uncontrollable spill over in the neighbouring countries. The same and an even worse scenario would be repeated in the case of Syria, with the spill over in the sensitive region of the Middle East causing unpredictable consequences and suffering to the peoples of the region.”

“I am deeply against the use of the ‘responsibility to protect’ as an excuse to justify military intervention and any attempts to partition the country. Europe promotes itself as a vehicle for peace, yet it has been exposed yet again with its imprudent, militaristic reaction to the situation in Syria. There is no other way but full respect of International Law and demilitarisation of international relations,” added Meyer.