"Those responsible for breaches of international law, some of which may amount to war crimes, must be held accountable. The EU is considering all available options. The EU will provide support for Syria's reconstruction only once a credible political transition is firmly under way," the statement says.
Syrian government forces have been fighting against multiple opposition and terrorist groups, including the Islamic State (IS, also known as Daesh), banned in a range of states, including Russia, and Jabhat Fatah al Sham, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, or Nusra Front.
Russia has been providing consistent humanitarian aid to Syrians who have been gravely affected by the civil war in the country and has been supporting the legitimate Syrian authorities, the government of President Bashar Assad.
The United States has sided with the so-called "moderate opposition" forces in Syria, calling for Assad to step down. Washington has been reluctant to distinguish between the moderate opposition and extremist factions in Syria, something that Moscow cited as the main reason for the collapse of a recent US-Russia mediated ceasefire in Syria.
