The UK government has spoken out about a meeting attended by Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour and Syrian president Bashar-al-Assad.
Assad has been responsible for a brutal civil war in Syria since 2011 that has seen at least 350,000 people killed, including thousands of women and children. Since the conflict started, Assad has only previously left the country to visit allies in Russia and Iran as most of the international community turned their backs on the leader.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), where City owner Mansour is deputy prime minister, had previously backed attempts to overthrow Assad's regime. However, the leader was welcomed in Dubai and Abu Dhabi last week in a suggestion that relations could be improving between the two states.
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A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commenwealth and Development Office told The Athletic that such a meeting was not helpful towards establishing peace in Syria. "It is the UK's firm belief that - in the absence of a change in behaviour by the Syrian regime - strengthening ties undermines the prospect of a lasting and inclusive peace in Syria," they said.
Assad is an ally of Russia leader Vladimir Putin, who has been universally condemned for his invasion of Ukraine. The eastern European country has been under attack for almost a month, with no signs of a ceasefire.
Pep Guardiola and the City squad in Manchester have given their full support towards defender Oleksandr Zinchenko amid a hugely upsetting time for the Ukranian and his family. But the UAE's condemnation of Russia was far from immediate, with the country abstaining at the first United Nations vote.
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