Michael Fallon condemns Spain over Russian refuelling - after Theresa May failed to

The Defence Secretary said no Nato member should be involved in 'bombing Syrian civilians' - as Russia withdrew its request to Spain to dock its ships

Michael Fallon, Secretary of State for Defence (EPA)

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has condemned Spain for planning to help Russian warships refuel on their way to bomb Syria – just hours after Theresa May refused to.

Mr Fallon said no Nato member should be caught up in “bombing Syrian civilians”, after Britain accused Russia of committing war crimes in the country’s civil war.

The comment came after the Prime Minister was criticised for ducking the controversy, when questioned in the House of Commons earlier today.

For years, Russian naval vessels have stopped at the Spanish port of Ceuta, on the North African coast, to refuel.

In September, permission was granted for three Russian ships to dock over the next week, part of a battle group that been sailing to the Mediterranean, including through the English Channel.

Arriving at a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels, Mr Fallon said: “We would be extremely concerned if any Nato member started to assist a Russian carrier group that ended up in the eastern Mediterranean, bombing Syrian civilians.

“On the contrary, Nato should be sticking together and reassuring its members.

“That’s one of the reasons why we are deploying Typhoons to the Black Sea region to provide exactly that kind of reassurance and solidarity. Nato needs to stick together.”

Yet, a few hours earlier, Ms May refused to be drawn into the gathering row, when it was raised by the SNP’s Westminster leader Angus Robertson.

He said: “It’s widely expected that the onslaught on Aleppo will be unleashed by Russian air power which is currently steaming across the Mediterranean aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov [aircraft carrier] and its battlegroup.

“In recent years, more than 60 Russian naval vessels have refuelled and resupplied in Spanish ports.

“Will the Prime Minister join me EU and Nato allies in unequivocally calling on Spain to refuse the refuelling?”

The Prime Minister responded that Russian vessels could “move as they wish” on the high seas, without mentioning Spain’s involvement in the refuelling.

Instead, she said: “The EU agreed that, should the atrocities continue, then we will look at all available options for taking action to put pressure on Russia to stop their indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilians.

“What we have seen, sadly, is that the Russians are already able to unleash attacks on innocent civilians in Syria.

“What matters is that we are able to put pressure on Russia to do what everybody agrees is the only way that we are going to resolve this issue, which is to ensure that we have a political transition in Syria.”

As the Nato defence ministers met, Russia withdrew its request for three warships to dock and the Spanish foreign ministry said the stopovers had been cancelled.

Aleppo, once Syria’s largest city, has been engulfed in bloody battle since 2012, with thousands of civilians and combatants killed, millions displaced from their homes, and untold physical damage to buildings and streets.

Russian air power is intervening in the country on the side of the Syrian government, led by Bashar al-Assad, who has himself been accused of committing war crimes.