Boris Johnson warns UK must take 'every possible precaution' amid fears of Russian revenge for Syria strikes
Boris Johnson has warned that Britain must take “every possible precaution” to guard against the possibility of a revenge attack by Russia for the airstrikes in Syria.
The Foreign Secretary said that whilst the UK had “clearly communicated” to Vladimir Putin that the strikes were limited, the possibility of a ‘dirty’ response by the Kremlin could not be dismissed.
Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr, Mr Johnson added that the Russians had demonstrated “at every single point” that the UK needed to be “aware”.
It comes amid fears that Russia may be preparing for revenge in the form of cyber attacks, which could see embarrassing information on Government ministers, known in intelligence circles as “kompromat”, released online.
The Government is also alert to potential hits on facilities such as the National Grid and the NHS, both of which are braced for a potential cyber attack.
The US is also thought to be making similar preparations, after a Pentagon spokesman revealed that the number of Russian trolls spreading fake news online had surged by more than 2,000 percent since the strikes on Friday.
Asked whether he supported the decision to launch strikes against Assad without Parliamentary approval, Mr Johnson said it was the “absolutely right” call, adding that it had sent a “message” that the West would no longer tolerate the illegal use of chemical weapons.
“There’s one overwhelming reason why this was the right thing to do, and that was to deter the use of chemical weapons, not just by the Assad regime, but those around the world,” he continued.
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“One of the most depressing things over the last few years is the contemptuous growth of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian theatre of conflict.
“People around the world are looking now and saying well thank goodness someone has finally stood up.
“It’s one of the great achievements of the modern world that chemical weapons are banned. For 100 years now that prohibition has been there, and the UK, France, America has stepped forward to vindicate that.”
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After Donald Trump warned that the US was “locked and loaded” should Assad use chemical weapons again, Mr Johnson said that any future engagement by UK forces would depend on discussions held with allies.
“We must hope that it is a deterrent. I believe it has been a successful mission,” he added.
“We can’t tell how the Assad regime will respond. If and when such a thing were to happen, then clearly with allies we would study what we should do.”
Asked if escalating tensions within the region made the prospect of conflict with Russia more likely, he said that the UK continued to “engage” with Russia and that it’s officials “understand very clearly where we are coming from”.
While the limited action will “not turn the tide” in Syria, where President Assad is now believed to have gained the upper hand, Mr Johnson said he hoped the strikes would encourage Putin to push the Syrian leader to the “negotiating table”.
