It was almost unbearable to watch the UN Security Council prove unable to give a clear and unequivocal response to the barbarous use of chemical weapons on innocent people in Syria. It is understandable that the United States has now responded with an attack on the military structures of the Assad regime which were the source of this horrific war crime.

Poison gas is an internationally banned weapon. The international community agrees on that. Understandable though the US military strike on military infrastructure was after the failure of the Security Council, it is now crucial to engage in joint efforts for peace under the aegis of the UN.

We must now do all we can to support the work of the United Nations so that a political solution to the civil war can be achieved. Only a new and democratic Syria will bring lasting peace. Europe and Germany stand ready to do so. The terrible events of recent days demonstrate that the conflict parties in the region, and the US and Russia, will also be required here.