Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the accuracy of reports that Syria was used as a testing ground for Russian tactics now seen in Ukraine; and what steps she will take to strengthen conflict prevention programmes led by her Department as part of the UK’s approach to containing rogue states.

Russia's actions in Ukraine will be familiar to millions of Syrians who have suffered at the hands of the Assad regime, with Moscow's backing. In both countries, Russia has been responsible for violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law. Their deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure and their callous disregard of civilian causalities has been a marked feature of both these operations.

The UK is working to ensure that there is no impunity for abuses committed in either country. We will continue to champion International Humanitarian Law and provide principled assistance at moments of crisis. The UK is a global leader in driving more effective approaches to crises. Preventing and anticipating future shocks and building resilience is a core objective in our new International Development Strategy. We will tackle the underlying drivers of crises, instability and extreme food insecurity and are at the forefront of driving more effective and innovative approaches to crisis prevention, preparedness, and response.