Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to journalists at an airport in Bishkek on September 17, 2016.
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United Russia, led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, now holds 238 of 450 Duma seats and controls the more than 80 regional parliaments and draws popularity from its standard bearer Vladimir Putin who enjoys an 83% approval rating among Russian voters – a level of approval that U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump appears to be jealous of.
Speaking in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, Putin also said Russian Federation was ready to continue contacts with Ukraine.
“What we’re seeing now is not the separation of the terrorists from the healthy part of the opposition but an attempt by these terrorists to regroup”, he said.
He suggested Washington’s resistance stems from a hope to retain the combat potential of forces fighting the Syrian government.
“Our partners (the United States) are calling for openness and transparency … but they are deviating from this postulate”, Putin told reporters.
His remarks were a clear allusion to Trump, the outspoken Republican nominee, who has emphatically professed his readiness to work with Putin, and at one point even said the Russian strongman was much more of a leader than US President Barack Obama.
“I don’t really understand why we have to hide any agreements, but we will of course refrain from revealing any details until our American partners agree to this”, he said.
Obama, who has had hard relations with Putin, stands down in January.
Separately footage has emerged of Free Syrian Army rebels expelling United States special forces from the town of Al-Rai in northern Syria, calling them “infidels” in Arabic.
“As for Russian Federation, it is fully honoring its obligations”, he said, adding Moscow reached relevant agreements with regime forces.
If the cessation holds for seven days, the USA and Russian Federation have agreed to plan joint attacks on the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham group, which was previously known as the al-Nusra Front, and IS.
Putin also commented on November’s USA presidential election, saying Moscow would support any person in any country who “is friendly to us”.
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The US Republican Party’s presidential nominee Donald Trump has spoken admiringly of Putin, spurring speculation about a possible thaw in now still-frosty relations between Moscow and Washington if Trump wins the White House.
