In a striking shift, President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin are embarking on a tentative path toward closer ties and possible military cooperation, as the bitter rift over Ukraine gives way to common cause against the Islamic State group.
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“I do not foresee a situation in which we can end the civil war in Syria while Assad remains in power”, Obama said on the sidelines of a trade summit in Manila. Putin, too, has issued conciliatory signals, softening his tone about the US and calling for the USA and Russian Federation to “stand together” against the extremist threat. However, Sadjadpour said Iranian officials also realize how much the civil war has stoked Sunni extremism.
“Russian Federation and Iran should choose between supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad, who “cannot regain legitimacy”, or “[saving] the Syrian state” by finding a truly legitimate Syrian government, U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday, The Associated Press news agency reported.
After Russian jet bombing and Paris terror attacks, Putin had hinted that he was ready to join forces with the West to tackle Islamic State.
“We are now acting in Syria legally and are willing to cooperate in practice with the members of the [US-led] coalition that are prepared to respect Syria’s sovereignty and the goals of the Syrian government”, Lavrov said.
According to the minister, the attitude of a particular country towards the fate of Syrian President Bashar Assad has no importance for the Islamic State terrorist organization.
Assad’s words have become first Damascus’ response to agreements reached at the Syria International Support Group conference in Vienna on November 14.
Another French diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity about discussions in Paris, said that “because of our different geography, we have a different vision of the crisis”.
Russia’s high-intensity air campaign and Putin’s influence over Assad gives the Russian Federation a key role in diplomatic efforts to negotiate a political solution. The country also has suffered increasing casualties from the war. “If Iran wants to establish a second front along the Golan Heights as it’s established in southern Lebanon, we’ll take forceful action, as we have”, he said then.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Russia’s military general staff said Russian Federation is developing plans for joint military operations in Syria with France.
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ISIS or ISIL or Daesh has extended their war beyond Iraq, made strategic gains in Syria and is expanding its operations in Saudi Arabia, Libya, Algeria, Yemen, Europe, Asia and the United States despite of the fact that U.S. led coalition has intensified air strikes in Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Libya and Nigeria.
