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Putin: US support for Syrian rebels ‘illegal’
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Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday branded the United States’ support for rebel forces in Syria as illegal and ineffective, saying US-trained rebels were leaving to join Islamic State with weapons supplied by Washington.
In an interview with US networks recorded ahead of a meeting with US President Barack Obama, Putin said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad deserved international support as he was fighting terrorist organizations.
Obama and Putin are scheduled to talk today after Putin addresses the United Nations, although White House and Kremlin officials have disagreed on what the two leaders will discuss and even who initiated the meeting.
“In my opinion, provision of military support to illegal structures runs counter to the principles of modern international law and the United Nations Charter,” Putin said in an excerpt of an interview with US television networks CBS and PBS released by the Kremlin.
Russia has stepped up its military involvement in Syria in recent weeks, with US officials accusing it of sending combat aircraft, tanks and other equipment to help the Syrian army.
Russia’s military build-up this month in support of Assad and a refugee crisis that has spilled over from the region into Europe have lent new urgency to attempts to resolve the Syria conflict.
The new US tack on Syria could bring together Russia, Saudi Arabia and other countries that support Syrian opposition groups.
US-Russian relations have slumped to a post-Cold War low over the Ukraine crisis, though the two sides share concerns about the threat posed by Islamic State.
Putin has said Damascus should be included in international efforts to fight IS, a demand the US rejects, and he criticized US plans to train up to 5,400 Syrian rebels to fight Islamic State.
“It turns out that only 60 of these fighters have been properly trained, and as few as four or five people actually carry weapons,” he said.
“The rest of them have deserted with the American weapons to join ISIS,” he said referring to Islamic State.
Critics have urged Obama to be more decisive in the Middle East and Syria, where the UN has said 250,000 people have died after four years of conflict.
Putin said Russia’s support for the Assad government was based on the UN Charter.
“We have been providing assistance to legitimate government entities only,” he said.
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