So while the convergence of the leaders of the major powers would previously have appeared to be normal or even fortuitous, it is now obvious to onlookers in the rest of the world, that the leaderships of Russian Federation and the United States in particular, now come with an unanticipated agenda to the UN, in the face of the resistance towards a meeting which had been portrayed over the Ukraine.
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“And I think you can not avoid the impression that the legal basis of the coalition activities in Syria is really flawed”, Lavrov said.
The so-called US-led coalition has also been engaged in similar operations against Daesh terrorists in neighboring Iraq, but they have been assessed by Iraqi authorities as largely ineffective since they have not resulted in eliminating the terror threat in the parts of the country where the Takfiri militants are present.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on 1 October that Syrian people shouldn’t have to choose between President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and “terrorist organisations”, like the Islamic State (Isis) group. We are taking a share of Syrian refugees, providing niche tactical assistance in western Iraq and eastern Syria, and contributing to the intelligence-led efforts to target Daesh and its leaders.
Earlier, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin appealed to the country’s Federation Council for a permission to use the Russian armed forces overseas.
“I don’t understand why…fighting terrorism requires no cooperation with this regime”.
“In the political process we should vitalize united, democratic, secular, non-sectarian, multicultural Syria, without Assad”, he added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the top Russian diplomat addressed the issue of the airstrikes, apparently reacting to media reports alleging that the attacks had led to civilian casualties.
As the discussions on a political transition and the future of Assad continue, Russian jets on Wednesday began conducting airstrikes in Syria that allegedly targeted moderate opposition fronts.
The pair also renewed a commitment to combat Daesh and other terrorist groups, sources said.
Syria is a significant ally of Moscow and represents Russia’s only presence in the Mediterranean area.
Kalin added that the Syrian regime was playing a vital role in strengthening Daesh by targeting civilians, thereby fueling support for the extremist group. “We are not supporting the sides who are fighting their own people”, he told a press conference.
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In mid-2013, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said the Tartus base no longer had any strategic significance, going on to announce plans to reduce the number of personnel deployed there.
