Carter: Russia needs to get ‘on the right side of things’ in Syria

US Secretary of Defence, Ash Carter, said that the coalition hopes to find a deal that would allow parts of the regime and ‘moderate’ parts of the opposition to work together. Speaking to the BBC on Thursday morning, Carter went on to say that Syria’s current, embattled, president Assad would have no place in a compromise government.

Carter also expressed his strong believe that the US-led coalition would overcome Daesh. “We are certain to defeat ISIL, and we’re embarked on this in Eastern Syria and also in Iraq” he said, referring to US backing for elements of the local opposition.

Shifting his focus to the relationship with Russia, Carter hinted at some level of frustration with Russian support for the Assad regime.

‘The violence can’t end until there is a political transition. The Russians are key to that, that’s why they came in’ he said, going on to explain, ‘they need to get on the right side of things not the wrong side of things.’

The Secretary also clarified that the removal of Assad would be a condition of any US deal on Syria, noting that this was where Russia was expected to make a positive contribution,

“That’s what the Russians are supposed to be arranging, that’s why they came in,” he said, in reference to a planned transition away from Assad’s rule. “They’re his backer. They need to use the influence that they have to move this in the right direction”.

The US and Russia are currently facing off on the opposite sides of various issues, including Russian incursions in Ukraine, the potential expansion of NATO as well as US support for Turkey’s military incursion into Syria known as ‘Operation Euphrates Shield’.