Russia criticises US led airstrikes against ISIS in Syria

Russia’s Foreign Ministry criticised the airstrikes led by the US in cooperation with other countries that targeted the Islamic State (ISIS) organisation in Syria.

According to the Anadolu news agency, a statement issued by the ministry described the airstrikes as “a violation of international law” and urged the international community to put an end to the actions of the US and its allies in Syria.

The statement also added that there must be explicit consent from the government of Syria or a corresponding UN Security Council decision present before any action is taken in Syria.

The ministry’s comments came after President Vladimir Putin criticised the airstrikes in a late-night conversation with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday, saying the airstrikes should not have been launched without the consent of the Syrian government.

The US and the members of its international alliance began airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria early yesterday morning. In a written statement issued yesterday, US State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said: “We warned Syria not to engage US aircraft if they pursue ISIS inside Syrian territories.”

She added: “We did not request the regime’s permission. We did not coordinate our actions with the Syrian government and there was no military-to-military communication with Syrian government forces. We provided no details about the timing or targets.”