Germany won't participate in the possible military action in Syria, but "supports sending a message that the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable", Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday.
"Germany will not participate in any possible - there has been no decision yet, I want to make that clear again - military action. But we see and support everything being done to signal that this use of chemical weapons is unacceptable," Merkel said.
"But we support everything that is being done to show that the use of chemical weapons is not acceptable," she added.
Earlier, Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone conversation, during which they discussed the recent escalation of tensions in Syria, spokesman for the German government Steffen Seibert said Thursday. Merkel and Macron vowed to continue close coordination on the issue.
Italy also will not have any direct role in an eventual Western military attack against the Syrian government, but it will provide logistical support to its allies, the prime minister's office said on Thursday.
Caretaker Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni had numerous "international" contacts on Thursday, including with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the statement said.
"Italy will not participate in Syrian military actions," Gentiloni told allies according to the statement. "Based on current international and bilateral accords, Italy will continue to offer logistical support to allied forces."
The situation in Syria significantly escalated within the last several days after an alleged chemical attack in the city of Duma.
Reports about the alleged attack in Duma, located in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta, emerged on Saturday. The European Union and the United States have rushed to blame the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad for the incident, however, Damascus has refuted the allegations.
