LONDON �� The U.S. and Britain said they are considering new economic sanctions against the Syrian and Russian governments over the bombardment of Aleppo.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson all but ruled out a military response to end the siege in the Syrian city, where 250,000 people remain trapped in the rebel-held east.
"I don't see a big appetite in Europe for people to go to war; we are pursuing diplomacy because those are the tools that we have," Kerry said Sunday. "We are considering additional sanctions. President Obama has not taken any option off the table. We'll see where we are in the next few weeks."
The west has accused Russia of carrying out the indiscriminate aerial bombing of civilians in Aleppo in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces. While countries such as Italy and France are urging caution, Kerry's comments suggest that pressure is mounting to add to the punitive measures put in place after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Sunday's meeting included representatives of France, Germany, Italy, Turkey and Middle Eastern allies. It followed weekend talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, involving Russia. They ended without result.
President Vladimir Putin said this month that Russia won't give in to "blackmail and pressure" over its military campaign in Syria and accused the U.S. and its allies of whipping up "anti-Russian hysteria."
Johnson urged Russia to "do the right thing by humanity" and end the "barbaric siege" of Aleppo. "This is their chance to go for a solution that will be in the longer-term interest of the people of Russia and, above all, Syria," he said. "They are starting to feel the pressure and it is vital that we keep that pressure up."
