Boris Johnson looks 'daft' after pulling out of Moscow trip, says Alex Salmond
Boris Johnson looks "daft" and is in "deep political trouble" after pulling out of a meeting with the Russians following a discussion with the United States, Alex Salmond has suggested.
The Foreign Secretary announced on Saturday that he would not be going ahead with the planned visit to Moscow in the wake of the Syrian chemical weapons attack, saying "we deplore Russia's continued defence of the Assad regime".
The SNP's foreign affairs spokesman said the move makes Mr Johnson look like "some sort of mini-me" who cannot be trusted to hold his own talks with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will go ahead with a planned trip to deliver a "clear and co-ordinated" message to the Kremlin over its support for Bashar Assad's Syrian regime.
Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Salmond said: "Boris Johnson just looks daft.
"What is the argument for not going ahead with a visit? Rex Tillerson is going on Wednesday so it can't be that we have moved to a Cold War position of no talking whatsoever.
"The idea the Foreign Secretary can't be trusted because he might pursue his own line or have an independent thought or crossover what the Americans are going to say just makes him look like some sort of mini-me to the United States of America.
He continued: "That's not a position any Foreign Secretary would want to be in. Boris Johnson looks in deep political trouble this morning."
International Development Secretary Priti Patel refused to say if Britain would support future strikes by the US if there are fresh chemical attacks in Syria.
She told Marr: "We are not going to speculate on hypothetical scenarios and situations but what we will do is continue to provide the life saving support that is required when we see such enormous medical emergencies."