WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (UPI) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed concern to counterpart Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over Russia’s confirmed military presence in war-ravaged Syria.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria V. Zakharova confirmed Wednesday that “Russian military specialists” were helping Syrians use Russian military equipment. She said Russia was never secretive about its cooperation with Syria on military technology and that Russia has always done so “in accordance with existing contracts and in full accordance with international law.”
During a call on Wednesday, Kerry “reiterated our concern about these reports of Russian military activities, or buildup if you will, in Syria and made very clear our view that, if true and borne out, could lead to greater violence and even more instability in Syria,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg also expressed concern about Russia’s military presence in Syria, adding that the country’s involvement in the Syrian civil war will not help resolve the conflict.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and German Foreign Affairs Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also warned against further Russian involvement.
More than 200,000 people have died and more than 4 million have been displaced by the Syrian civil war, which sparked an exodus that has created a migrant crisis in Europe, where governments are attempting to deal with the thousands of migrants fleeing war and seeking asylum.
Russian spokeswoman Zakharova did not rule out further assistance to ally Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government.
“If there is a need from our side for additional measures to increase support for the anti-terrorist fight, this question will be reviewed in an appropriate way,” she said.
Comment count on this article reflects comments made on Breitbart.com and Facebook. Visit Breitbart's Facebook Page.