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Russia warns US support for Syrian opposition will destabilise the country

August 4, 2015 at 12:26 pm

Russia has warned that the US’s decision to back Syrian rebels will bring more chaos and instability to Syria and the entire Middle East.

“Moscow has repeatedly underlined that help to the Syrian opposition, moreover financial and technical assistance, leads to further destabilisation of the situation in the country,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters yesterday.

“In effect, this could lead to a situation in the country that could be used by terrorists from the so-called Islamic State because this is how the weakened government is losing its potential for combating the further spread of the Islamic State,” Peskov said.

Peskov pointed out that this situation has been a fundamental point of disagreement between Moscow and Washington.

President Barack Obama announced yesterday that US air power had been authorised to protect Syrian rebel fighters who have been specially trained and equipped for the battle against Islamic State militants.

The training programme launched in May aimed to prepare 5,400 Syrians for the mission, however only 60 men volunteered.