French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday a “return to normal” in Syria that left its leader Bashar al-Assad in power would be a “grotesque error”, in comments seemingly directed at his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
“We can see those who would like to return to normal as soon as the war against Daesh is finished: Bashar al-Assad would stay in power, the refugees... Will return and Europe and few others would help with reconstruction,” Macron said.
But “such a scenario would be a grotesque error,” he added. After coming to power in May last year, Macron shifted French policy towards prioritising the destruction of the ISIS rather than ousting Assad, warning of a “failed state” if the leader were forcibly removed.
But he has previously called the Syrian leader an “enemy of the Syrian people” who should ultimately face a war crimes court.