Potential participants

US: After earlier saying missiles “will be coming” and Russia should “get ready” for a strike on Syria in retaliation for the chemical attack in Douma, Donald Trump has rowed back on the suggestion that a strike is necessarily imminent.

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all! In any event, the United States, under my Administration, has done a great job of ridding the region of ISIS. Where is our “Thank you America?”

The defence secretary, James Mattis, said an attack was “not yet in the offing”.

France: Emmanuel Macron, who has declared that the proven and fatal use of chemical weapons in Syria was a red line for France, said Paris had evidence that the Syrian government carried out the Douma attack, reported to have killed more than 40 people, but it would not decide on a response until all the information was known.

“We have proof that last week chemical weapons were used, at least chlorine, and that they were used by the regime of Bashar al-Assad,” the president said. He did not say what that proof might be, but warned that decisions would be taken “in due course, when we judge it most useful and effective … We cannot allow regimes that believe they can act with impunity to violate international law in the worst possible way.”

UK: Theresa May recalled her cabinet from its Easter break to discuss joining a possible strike. The prime minister has said “all the indications are” that Assad’s forces were responsible and that the use of chemical weapons “cannot go unchallenged”. After reports that May was prepared to give the go-ahead for action without parliamentary approval, the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, demanded that MPs be consulted.

The Ministry of Defence declined to confirm that Royal Navy submarines armed with cruise missiles had already been dispatched to within range of Syria.

Backers

Germany: Angela Merkel, who spoke to Macron on Thursday, has ruled out joining any strike, but said she backed “sending a signal” that chemical weapons use would not be tolerated. Saying there was “strong evidence” that Damascus had deployed poison gas, the chancellor said “a full spectrum of measures” would be considered.

“Germany will not participate militarily, but we will provide our support if the representatives in the UN security council … were to take steps beyond diplomatic measures,” she said. The foreign minister, Heiko Maas, said Berlin expected to be consulted before any of the western allies conducted an attack, since it was important they were united. Germany has supplied reconnaissance and refuelling flights as part of the international anti-jihadist campaign in Syria.



Italy: The prime minister, Paolo Gentiloni, spoke to several leaders including Merkel to say Italy would not play a direct role in a military attack, but “based on current international and bilateral accords, will continue to offer logistical support to allied forces”, according to a statement from his office.

Urging caution

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Turkey: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he is worried by the escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington. “We are extremely worried that some countries confident of their military power are turning Syria into a scene for arm wrestling,” the president said, before discussing ways of ending what he called “the chemical massacre” in Syria in a call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Opposed to any action

Syria: Assad said western threats were based on “lies” aimed at undermining his forces’ recent advances, and they endangered international peace and security. Military action would only contribute to the “further destabilisation” of the region, the president said on Thursday. The Syrian government has denied carrying out the Douma attack.

Russia: Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was “necessary to avoid any steps that may fuel tensions in Syria”, and any strike would have an “utterly destructive impact on the Syrian settlement”. The foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said western leaders had no authority to be “investigators, prosecutors and executioners” and should not assume the role of “global policeman”. She described claims around the attack as fake and urged western allies to carefully weigh the consequences of any action.

Bolivia: The country’s UN ambassador, Sacha Llorenty Soliz, who called an emergency closed meeting of the security council for Thursday, said he wanted all members to agree that no unilateral action should be taken.