In a bid to avoid imminent American military intervention in Syria, “several government leaders in Europe, the United States and Russia telephoned each other on August 29 to discuss a political solution to the crisis,” reports Süddeutsche Zeitung.
French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were behind the initiative, points out the daily, which adds that it was also —
… made possible by the parliament in London which refused to endorse British participation in military strikes before the submission of an inspectors’ report on chemical weapon stocks in Syria.
According to the daily, the British vote and the Franco-German initiative —
… will force American President Barack Obama to delay military intervention by a few days, if he wants the backing of an international coalition.
In the meantime, Merkel and Hollande aim to exert pressure on Russia, which is intent on vetoing any intervention in Syria, to oblige it to seek a political solution.
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