Europe’s shame: EU response to Russian war crimes in Aleppo and Syria


The leaders of the EU have reached their decision on how to respond to Russian war crimes in Aleppo and northern Syria.

They are adopting additional economic sanction against …


The sanctions? Placing the names of 10 al-Assad associates on the sanctions list.


Russland bestreitet Beteiligung an Bombardierung einer Schule
Russland weist Vorwürfe zurück, an einem Luftangriff auf eine syrische Schule beteiligt gewesen zu sein; Die EU verhängt Sanktionen gegen zehn Assad-Vertraute, Die Zeit, 27. Oktober 2016, (16:40 Uhr). Quelle: ZEIT ONLINE, AFP, dpa.

This action is utterly disproportionate to the war crimes committed by bombing civilian targets in Aleppo and elsewhere, including hospitals and humanitarian aid convoys.

It will go down in history as one of the most shameful moments in the history of EU foreign policy decisions.

As for the Russians, they can only be delighted at the weakness of the West, which simply confirms Putin’s beliefs and emboldens him to commit further atrocities.


Marc Sem, “Face au Kremlin, l’impuissance occidentale en Syrie; Même si la Russie est diplomatiquement isolée, Moscou apparaît comme le maître du jeu dans le conflit syrien. D’autant que les Occidentaux semblent, au-delà des mots, bien impuissants,” Le Monde, le 22 Octobre 2016 (à 11h33).

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Of course the Russians deny any involvement in the bombing of a school Wednesday in Haas in Idlib Province. As if they would not be equally responsible, and legally responsible, if the attacks were carried out by Syrian airplanes!

We know the Russian policy of propaganda and lies.

We are, collectively, judging from our actions and responses, stupid.

But we are not so stupid as to believe they were not involved in the bombing of the school in Haas, either directly or as accomplices through their support of the Syrian air force.

Meanwhile, in America, President Obama is content to block any action that might really help the rebels in Syria.

Sanctions against the Russians for their war crimes in Aleppo?

There is no evidence that such an option has been seriously considered by President Obama. He has for years caved into big business interests which demanded the U.S. not adopt economic sanctions against Russia that were not also adopted by the EU. By accepting that demand and adopting that policy stance, Obama long ago ceded U.S. leadership on economic sanctions.


“American big business votes for appeasement with Russia; Interview with Prime Minister Taavi Roivas of Estonia,” The Trenchant Observer, June 24, 2014.

For both Europe and the United States, their total non-response to the Russian war crimes being committed in Aleppo and Syria marks a new low in their abject appeasement of Vladimir Putin.

Does it matter? Do war and peace matter?

The Trenchant Observer

About the Author

James Rowles