No EU Member State Offers Anti-Russia Sanctions Over Syria

No member state of the European Union has officially proposed imposing sanctions on Russia for its anti-terrorist campaign in Syria, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday.

LUXEMBOURG (Sputnik) — Earlier in October, different European politicians, including Germany's special coordinator for Russia policy Gernot Erler brought the idea of introducing restrictions against Russia over the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria's Aleppo.

"This has not been proposed by any member state… In none of our meetings was this issue raised by any of the member states," Mogherini told reporters ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council.

She said "there are discussions for sure" pertaining to existing measures against the Syrian government, adding "that could be possible."

"The European Union doesn't only have sanctions in its toolbox… We have the instruments for pressure, we also have leverages for good. And so a good mix of the two is always wise and useful, so today we will focus on all tracks," Mogherini stressed.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011. The core of the ongoing conflict is a struggle between moderate Syrian opposition groups that want to remove President Bashar Assad from power, and government forces. In parallel, Damascus has to counter various extremist groups, in particular, the Daesh, which is outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

Russia has been mediating talks on Syria in search of a political solution to the conflict, as well as assisting Damascus in fighting extremists. Moscow's counterterrorist air campaign in Syria was launched on September 30, 2015, at the request of Assad. Separately, a US-led coalition of some 60 states has been conducting airstrikes on terrorists in Syria, without either UN mandate or Damascus' approval.