Lavrov, Kerry discuss US plans to bomb Syria government troops and situation in Ukraine

Russia believes the United States’ plans to protect Syria’s so-called moderate opposition by means of bombing government troops are counterproductive as such steps could only hamper anti-terrorism efforts, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

Lavrov said he had raised this issue at a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Doha following US President Barack Obama’s sanctioning US’ possible bombardment of the Syrian government troops. “This issue was raised. I raised this issue before John Kerry. When a year ago the United States announced its plans to establish a coalition to fight against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Washington back then enrolled consent of the Iraqi government but opted not to ask consent from Damascus,” Lavrov said. “Already then, we pointed to the illegitimacy and counter-productivity of such an approach as violating international laws in principle. And as for practical aspects, all this hampers the formation of a consolidated front to fight against Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra and their affiliated terrorist groups.”

“All recognize that air strikes only are not enough, it is necessary to consolidates the like-minded, including those who repulse the terrorist threat with weapons in their hands on the ground,” the Russian minister said.

“As for the latest developments [concerning the actions of the US-led coalition against the terrorist group Islamic State], we posed a question to [US Secretary of State John] Kerry,” he said. “We think it counterproductive to announce publicly that aviation will deliver air strikes to protect groups of the so-called moderate opposition. Such plans give birth to many questions. It will hamper anti-terrorist efforts.”

“Sometimes, it is difficult to see who is fighting against whom and who is hampering whom,” he added.

“I do not think that I succeeded in shaking the US stance. Apparently, we are too wide apart on this issue,” Lavrov said.