Russia rebuffed calls for a no-fly zone to be established over Syria as its warplanes extended a bombing campaign against the Islamic State and other militant groups.
It also ruled out sending troops to take part in ground operations in Syria, a day after the head of the Russian parliament’s defense committee, Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov, said volunteers could go to fight in the Middle Eastern nation, including some who took part in the conflict in Ukraine.
A no-fly zone would breach Syrian sovereignty and “isn’t based on the UN Charter and international law,” Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikhail Bogdanov, who is Russia’s special presidential envoy for the Middle East, said in an interview published yesterday by Russia’s Interfax news service. “Of course, we are against this. You need to respect the sovereignty of countries.”
Russia last week began its air campaign to bomb the Islamic State and other extremist groups in Syria, its first foray outside the former Soviet Union in more than three decades.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military intervention in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad overshadowed a recent diplomatic flurry to seek a solution to the four-year civil war. NATO is pressuring Russia to coordinate efforts to attack the Islamic State.
Russia is “neither planning to, nor will participate in any ground operations,” Valentina Matviyenko, chairman of the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house of parliament, said yesterday at talks in Amman with Jordanian Senate President Abdelraouf al-Rawabdeh, Interfax reported.
“We will not be dragged into the resolution of the international Syrian crisis for long,” she said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during talks with EU leaders on Monday pressed for the introduction of a no-fly zone over a safe area that would be created in Syria for refugees fleeing the fighting.
NATO member Turkey also vowed to protect its borders after a Russian fighter jet that violated its airspace was confronted by two Turkish patrol aircraft on Saturday.
Commanders of Russia’s air group in Syria have “taken necessary measures to prevent such occurrences,” and have sent “relevant clarifications” to Turkey, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Twitter on Monday.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg condemned the intrusion into Turkey’s airspace by Russian troops in a statement on Monday that called on the Russian government to “avoid escalating tensions with the alliance.”
Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Walid Muallem told al-Mayadeen TV on Monday he was sure of a Russian victory in the fight against terrorist groups.
“Without a doubt, Russia will win this race,” Muallem was quoted as saying by the state-run SANA news agency.
“I have no doubt at all, and the reason behind that is practical and simple: it’s because Russia is coordinating with the Syrian Arab Army, which is the only force in Syria that is confronting terrorism.” Muallem said.
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