Putin: Russia provides military, technical support to Iraq and Syria

Russia provides military and technical assistance to Iraq and Syria along with a number of countries in the region who are fighting terrorism; the Anadolu Agency quoted President Vladimir Putin saying.

“We think it’s an enormous mistake to refuse to cooperate with the Syrian government and its armed forces who are valiantly fighting terrorism face to face,” Putin told the UN General Assembly in New York yesterday, stressing that the Assad army and Kurdish militias are the only ones fighting a real war against Daesh and other terrorist organisations.

Putin warned of attempts to undermine the United Nations, saying these are very serious endeavours which will result in a dominated world, stressing his country’s readiness to work with partners on the basis of consensus.

“Rather than bringing about reforms, aggressive foreign interference has resulted in the brazen destruction of national institutions and the lifestyle itself,” he said.

He criticised the West’s programme to train and arm Syrian fighters, saying: “First, they are armed and trained and then they defect to the so-called Islamic State. Besides, the Islamic State did not just come from nowhere. It was also initially forged as a tool against undesirable secular regimes.”

“We believe that any attempts to play games with terrorists, let alone arm them, is not only short-sighted, but ‘fire hazardous.’ This may result in a global terrorist threat increasing dramatically and engulfing new regions of the world.”

Putin revealed his country’s intention to invite the UN Security Council to hold a ministerial meeting to discuss the threats in the Middle East and to submit a draft resolution to the Security Council to coordinate the efforts of all forces fighting Daesh, stressing on the need for coordination based on the UN Charter.