MOSCOW, Oct. 12 (UPI) — Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed in a television interview that Russian airstrikes in Syria serve to reinforce Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Speaking Sunday on Rossiya One state television, Putin said, “Our task is to stabilize the legitimate government and to create conditions for a political compromise, by military means, of course.
“The units of international terrorists and their ilk have no desire to negotiate with the Syrian government, who is almost sieged in its own capital.”
Russian officials have said air attacks are targeting Islamic State property and positions and that the country regards IS — also identified as Daesh, ISIS and ISIL — as the primary enemy in Syria. But Russian forces have also struck rebel groups intent on ousting the sitting government.
“The maps that are released from the Russians themselves show where they’re concentrating their airstrikes. And if you look at the map where they are hitting, most of them are concentrated in that area between Hama and Aleppo, and that’s where the Syrian rebels have had success over the past two months,” military analyst Lt. Col. Rick Francona told CNN.
The United States and other governments have suggested Russia is targeting moderate but anti-Assad groups, in addition to IS forces.
Prior to a meeting on Syria by European Union ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, Feredica Mogherini, EU foreign affairs chief, called Russia’s involvement in Syria “a game changer,” adding.
“It has some very worrying elements. The interventions against Daesh have to be clearly against Daesh and other terrorist groups, as defined by the UN,” she said.
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