President Vladimir Putin strongly defended, during a regional security conference in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, military assistance to Syria, describing it as an aid to the loyalist government from terrorist aggression.
"Without the government of Damascus, the migrant crisis in Europe would be far more serious. If Russia had not supported Syria, the situation would have worsened. A greater crisis than the one that occurred in Libya ”.
Putin, who did not comment on the deployment of T-90 tanks arriving in Syria, confirmed the Russian efforts, aimed at "tightening the backbone of the Assad government to defeat the militants of the Islamic State".
"Without the Syrian army, it would be impossible to fight ISIS. We are offering military and technical assistance."
Putin also urged moderate elements of the Syrian opposition to follow Russia's example by aligning with the Damascus government to defeat the Islamic State. "Assad is ready for a political compromise with the healthy side of the opposition".
Meanwhile, Russian analysts defend their troops on possible (secret) interactions with local troops. "Our people would never merge with a local Arabic-speaking force." Translated means: "they act exclusively under the direction of the Kremlin".
Is Assad's decision-making role increasingly marginal?
(photo: kremlin.ru)
