BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - LEADERS OF THE G8 countries – United States, Japan, Canada, Russia, Germany, France, Britain and Italy (representing just over half of the US$71.7 trillion global economy) – met this week in Ireland ostensibly to discuss the global economy.
However, the conflict in Syria predictably dominated the summit which began on Monday, with Russia facing pressure to back away from its unwavering support for President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia is Syria’s traditional ally in the Middle East and offers it a bridgehead to the Mediterranean Sea with a steady flow of arms to the regime in much the same way as Israel is to the United States. It is therefore unlikely that any sense of objectivity will prevail in Ireland.