EU foreign ministers have agreed to lift the arms ban on the Syrian opposition forces after reaching an uneasy compromise.
It is not the best option but it is one that we could compromise on
The decision reached in the early hours of Tuesday was immediately followed by a Russian declaration that it will go ahead with deliveries of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to the Syrian government.
Foreign Minister George Vella said the compromise would enable an arms deal with Syrian rebels for civilian protection that is “supervised and controlled”.
“It is not the best option but it is one that we could compromise on since it poses controls and restrictions on arms deals with Syrian rebels for civilian protection,” Dr Vella said, adding he hoped the Syrian deadlock would be resolved diplomatically.
Malta looked forward to the Geneva peace conference on Syria – sponsored by Russia and the US – that will be held next month, he said.
The EU decision leaves it up to the member states to decide whether to deal in arms with Syrian rebels, although there are no immediate plans to send weapons.
Only the UK and France have expressed their intention to supply arms to Syrian rebel forces.
The Middle Eastern country has been ravaged by a two-year conflict as opponents of the Bashar al-Assad regime are gridlocked in a battle with Syrian forces. The conflict has claimed thousands of lives and prompted many more to flee the country.
Assad, who enjoys Russian support, has so far refused to leave despite mounting international pressure.
Anthony Manduca, international affairs columnist of The Sunday Times of Malta, said the EU decision was a step in the right direction.
However, he insisted the EU had to make sure weapons were supplied carefully to ensure they would not end up in the hands of the extremists within the rebel movement.
“It will take a while before the lifting of the embargo will have any effect in this war as President Assad’s forces – aided by Hezbollah – have been making significant gains recently. Nevertheless, it shows Assad that Europe is serious about helping the opposition,” Mr Manduca said.
Whether the EU decision will be enough to change the course of history in Syria is debatable given the fragmented nature of the opposition.
Isabelle Calleja, head of the International Relations Department at the University of Malta, said the divisions within the opposition were a problem.
She noted that as in any revolution the opposition was made up of moderates and extremists.
“There are those who argue that lack of western support for the free Syrian army has weakened their ability to protect those fighting Assad and consequently more Syrians will throw their support behind the rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra that surfaced last year, who are said to have ties with al-Qaeda and are pushing for a Muslim state,” she said.
The extremist group is currently in a better position to protect the locals and deliver provisions, Dr Calleja added, which complicated matters given the accusations of vandalism directed towards the free army.
ksansone@timesofmalta.com