Sidelined on Syria, UK's Johnson struggles for status

The rejection Tuesday of British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's proposal for extra sanctions on Russia and Syria is the latest setback for a former Brexit campaigner struggling for political relevance.

The decision by the G7 meeting of foreign ministers in Italy came after Johnson on Saturday cancelled a scheduled trip to Russia in apparent deference to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's upcoming visit.

"Boris Johnson is largely toothless," columnist Martin Kettle wrote of the Conservative politician in the left-leaning Guardian newspaper.

He argued there was "no strong evidence" that Prime Minister Theresa May "relies on him on big things".

British newspapers have been merciless in their reactions to the cancellation by the scruffy-haired former journalist, who was widely seen as a favourite to become Britain's new prime minister only last year.

The Mail on Sunday cited Russian commentary on Johnson referring to him as a US "poodle", while The Times portrayed him in a cartoon as a dog with a Union Jack collar left outside a US-Russia meeting.

Many noted that the decision to cancel could not have come without being supported by May herself.

Russia's foreign ministry said his decision not to visit Moscow showed Britain had "no real influence on the course of international affairs, remaining 'in the shadow' of their strategic partners".

- 'Lied a lot' -

Johnson has long been mocked for his buffoonish antics and undiplomatic pronouncements and was always an improbable pick as foreign minister after his role in a bitterly divisive EU referendum campaign.

When he was appointed in July, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Johnson had "lied a lot" in the campaign and he was booed in his first speech as foreign minister at the French embassy.

At a press conference with then US Secretary of State John Kerry just a few days later he appeared to confuse Egypt with Turkey and fended off questions about his scathing past references to world leaders.

As delicate Brexit negotiations loom for which May is keen to show goodwill towards EU partners, his gung-ho spirit appears jarring.

The latest front page of Private Eye, a satirical magazine, showed Johnson wearing sunglasses on an armoured vehicle during a visit to Somalia in March.

"Tally ho! Gibraltar here we come!" read the caption -- a reference to Britain's opposition to Spain having a veto over the extension of any future EU trade deal to the British territory of Gibraltar.

- 'Not very successful' -

On Syria, Johnson's views have proved inconsistent.

In 2015, when he was still mayor of London, he argued that Britain should "deal with the devil" by allying with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against the Islamic State jihadist group.

He switched to a hawkish stance in October last year, calling on the outgoing US administration of president Barack Obama to impose more sanctions on Russia.

But speaking to a parliamentary committee in London in January he appeared to change his tune, raising the possibility of Assad being allowed to run for re-election, saying that the Western "mantra" of Assad having to leave power had not worked so far.

He has now returned to the stance that Assad must go, although his most recent call for sanctions on Syrian and Russian military officials was not endorsed by May's spokesman at a press briefing on Monday.

A diplomatic source attending the Lucca meeting of G7 foreign ministers this week said Johnson was well prepared for bilateral talks and spoke persuasively but ultimately "appeared to have no firm ideas or beliefs and was not very successful".

Sarah Lain, research fellow at the RUSI defence and security think-tank, said the Russia visit might have been a "missed opportunity" to engage but was understandable as a way of showing Britain's commitment to US ties and the importance of foreign policy coordination.

"Developing the relationship with the US is clearly more strategically important than direct engagement with Russia at this particular moment," she said.