Boris Johnson is a “toothless” poodle to the US government, Alex Salmond has claimed.

Salmond, who is the SNP’s spokesman on foreign affairs, criticised the foreign secretary after the G7 failed to agree with his call to implement fresh sanctions on the Syrian regime.

Johnson’s call for tougher sanctions came after an alleged chemical weapons attack in a Syrian rebel-held village near the city of Homs.

Turkey’s health minister confirmed preliminary tests show sarin gas was used in the attack which killed 89 people.

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US president Donald Trump launched a missile strike on an airbase which American military intelligence believe the attack was launched from.

Instead of agreeing to the UK Government’s proposals, the G7 instead said it would focus on speaking to Russia to put pressure on the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Salmond welcomed the decision for the G7 to respond to the attack in an “orderly way”.

The former First Minister said the United Nations should launch a probe into the gassing of villagers in Khan Sheikhoun and those responsible should be trialled at the International Criminal Court.

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He added: “The same procedure should be used for all those – state actors included – who use banned weapons against civilian populations and in this fashion we have the hope of restoring a semblance of decency to the conduct of conflict.

“Any other approach relegates criminal acts to being part of the arm wrestling of power politics. “Boris Johnson’s bumbling performance as foreign secretary is beyond parody. He cancelled his diplomatic initiative in Moscow on the pretext of rallying the G7 for sanctions against Russia – this before a case had even been made.

“When this is rejected he declares himself satisfied. He is not just America’s poodle but a toothless one – all bark and no bite.”

Speaking after the G7 meeting, Johnson said: “What this meeting has really achieved – and what we set out to achieve – was an overwhelming message to be delivered by the Americans … a message to the Russians that this is a moment for them to choose.

“They can choose to stick like glue to the Assad regime that is poisoning its own people, and poisoning the reputation of Russia, or they can choose to work with the rest of the world – with the Americans, with everybody who cares about Syria – to fight terrorism together.”