The Austrian foreign ministry circulated a discussion paper among the EU member states yesterday. It refuted British and French arguments for amending the European embargo on Syria to enable rebels to get access to weapons.

The Austrian paper argued that withdrawing the embargo would lead to a breach of international and EU law. Moreover it will be contrary to the principle of non-intervention and non-use of force laid down in the UN Charter.

It expressed serious concerns that if weapons will end up in the hands of the al-Nusra Front, it would also be the violation to UN Security Council resolutions on al-Qaida.

According to the Austrian press reports, the U. K. asked the Austrians not to circulate the paper. But, Vienna did it anyway, which is a sign of the declining clout of the UK in Brussels. The country is sinking into an internecine quagmire on EU membership.

Chancellor Werner Faymann said on Tuesday that Austria is not at all in the favor of lifting a European Union arms embargo on Syrian rebels. He added, "We are against this principle. In areas like the Middle East and Syria there can be absolutely no relieving or resolving the situation by delivering yet more weapons".