“””The West issued zero sanctions against Putin despite the violations committed by Russian forces in Syria, which amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes,”” SNHR executive director Fadel Abdul Ghany told The New Arab.
“”That encouraged Putin to escalate the violence, shelling more hospitals, killing more civilians… Russia did not pay any price for seizing Syria, with zero sanctions and the condemnation was not on the scale of the Russian crimes.””
Zero repercussions for Russia’s blatant targeting of civilians led Putin to feel he had little to fear from the West and the invasion of Ukraine was a natural consequence of this, Abdul Ghany said.
“”That is what encouraged Putin to continue his crimes in Syria, to block a peaceful solution to the war and eventually to the invasion of Ukraine. He did not expect a reaction from the West like he did,”” he added.”
