Military officials in the US say that Russia’s fighter aircraft deployment to Syria and reinforcement of its coastal base indicated the Russians are preparing to involve forces from their military directly in the civil war in Syria.
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Officials said the build-up underscored the challenges facing United States air operations against Isis fighters in Syria if there was no coordination between the U.S. and Russian Federation.
With Russian Federation apparently beefing up its military presence in Syria, some countries are getting nervous about what could happen – including Israel.
“We both understand that the Syrian army and Syria all in all is in such a condition, that it does not have a chance to open the second front”, Mr Putin said, adding with a laugh: “It has to save its sovereignty”.
They also filed a complaint with the Council for Civil Society and Human Rights and handed in resignation notices, though it was unclear whether their resignations had been accepted. Carter said the USA and Russian Federation needed to “deconflict” air operations in Syria to “avoid any mistakes or miscalculations” between the two forces.
“This is very important for Israel’s security, and this is the first, clear outcome of this conversation”, Netanyahu told reporters at the conclusion of his visit to Russian Federation .
He said senior Israeli army officers would be part of the Israeli delegation to Moscow.
Putin, who shares Western concern about the spread of ISIL, has pledged to continue military support for Assad, assistance that Russian Federation says is in line with global law.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin reiterated his country’s support for Assad’s forces on Sunday.
He said that Assad today controls some 25 percent of Syrian territory, mainly along the coast and in Damascus, which is threatened by Islamic State. Previously, Washington had insisted Mr Assad should step down before a transition government takes over, leading eventually to free and fair elections.
“This is a significant upgrade to Russia’s ability to carry out bombing missions inside Syria”, the US official said.
Netanyahu was expected to tell Putin that Israel will not accept any limits on its freedom to operate in Syria.
But in the past week, U.S. officials have confirmed reports that the Russian military has sent warplanes, helicopters, tanks, artillery guns, armoured personnel carriers and 200 marines to an airfield near Mr Assad’s ancestral home in Latakia province.
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Jerusalem and Moscow have different points of view on a number of issues, including the Iran nuclear deal, reached by Tehran and a group of global negotiators including Russian Federation, on July 14.
