Share

Russian Federation Ready to Cooperate with Patriotic Opposition in Syria: FM

On Monday, European Union foreign ministers demanded Russian Federation stop targeting non-jihadist rebels while the UN’s peace envoy to Syria said he was heading to Moscow to promote a political end to the conflict.

Advertisement

They were unable to agree on whether Assad should have any role in ending the crisis but they did decide to extend sanctions by essentially freezing the assets of the spouses of senior Syrian figures.

“The military escalation risks prolonging the conflict, undermining a political process, aggravating the humanitarian situation and increasing radicalisation”, said the ministers.

Russia’s Air Force has been launching strikes against the Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups since September 30.

In January, the Kurdish forces and allied rebels, supported by the Peshmerga, were able to push ISIS out of the border town of Kobane after four months of heavy fighting and U.S.-led airstrikes.

WASHINGTON, October 8 (Xinhua) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, in a phone call Thursday, discussed deconfliction of the two countries’ operations against Islamic States (IS) in Syria.

“Assad should leave and the Saudis will continue strengthening and supporting the moderate opposition in Syria”, the source said.

He acknowledged that Russian Federation s air strikes had “introduced new dynamics” to the brutal conflict.

However, a Syrian military statement said it took control of the village, and others nearby.

The sight of Syrian rebels blowing up Russian-made Syrian Army tanks with advanced American missiles, captured in videos uploaded last week to YouTube, has brought a nominally covert Central Intelligence Agency program into the spotlight.

“How is it possible to work together?” he asked.

“Some of these people underwent training in Islamic State camps in Syria”, Interfax news agency quoted the Federal Security Service (FSB) as saying.

The move follows the Pentagon’s announcement last week that it would halt its much-criticised programme to train moderate rebels, and instead focus efforts on equipping pre-screened rebel leaders from groups actively fighting Isil.

Although Russian officials have stated their goal is to combat terrorism, a few have said Moscow has also been fighting non-terrorist groups whose intent is to overthrow Assad’s regime – a plan USA officials have suspected for weeks.

Advertisement

A military expert told Prensa Latina that also helicopters Michigan 24P and transportation Mi-8, and the multipurpose destroyer SU-30 are part of the Russian fleet in the offensive against the ISIL and terrorist groups in the Arab country. Washington has indicated that it could direct funding and weapons to Arab commanders on the ground who cooperate with the YPG.

US planes drop arms in Syria for locals to fight IS