While the UK hosts Syrian opposition leaders for peace talks, recent US Justice department lobbying records reveal that the British government funded $1.4m (£1.04m) of the Syrian rebel coalition's lobbying bill in Washington DC and the United Nations.
Wednesday's Westminster meeting of the Friends of Syria on a possible peace deal in which President Bashar al-Assad steps down are being viewed as a sign that the government is considering more overt backing for the Syrian opposition.
But lobbying documents show that the UK has long been using 'soft power' to influence the US' and American United Nations mission's policy on Syria.
The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, known as Conflict Pool until April 2015, paid American diplomacy start up Independent Diplomat $1.4m in the last 18 months to lobby the US State Department on behalf of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces.
The Foreign Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an email to al-Monitor, a spokesperson said: “The UK has spent over five million pounds [$6.5 million] since the start of the conflict supporting the Syrian opposition. This includes providing negotiation and communication support along with advice and training to staff at their international offices.”
The records also showed that Saudi Arabia has used its far-ranging contract with international PR firm the MSL group to help the Syrian opposition with “media support”, reaching out to international news outlets.
The US and other proxy foreign powers, including the Saudis, support ending al-Assad's presidency and free elections in order to bring peace to Syria. But several think tanks and rights groups have said the conflict is too complicated for sweeping regime change.
Russia and Iran - the Syrian government's main international supporters - have consistently stated their support for Assad.
International talks to end the five-year-long conflict have so far been unsuccessful. The latest US and Russian ceasefire deal, brokered in February, broke down in a matter of weeks.
The Syrian conflict has claimed 400,000 lives and created 4m refugees, according to United Nations data.
