MOSCOW, September 17 /TASS/. Moscow is ready to use military channels, if necessary, to provide any information about Russian aid to Syria at Washington’s request, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
"We have told our US colleagues many times about the nature of our military and technological assistance [to Syria]; its volumes, details of operations which, they believe, are taking place there, etc. Most of their information is based on media reports. We told them that we were ready to provide any information that interests them by using relevant channels so that military experts on both sides could discuss all issues of mutual concern," the Russian diplomat said.
"We would like to tell our American partners that we support Syria in its struggle against the Islamic State (IS) in the first place," Zakharova went on to say. "We are trying to avert a total catastrophe in the region. Supporting the regime and personalities is not our main task. Our main goal is to help the Syrian state to counteract the Islamic State and terrorist organizations, which are posing a threat to Russia’s national security," the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson said.
US-led coalition lacks coordination with Damascus
According to the spokeswoman, the US-led anti-terror coalition in Syria lacks coordination with the government in Damascus, which is a violation of international law.
"All the actions of the so-called coalition have not be agreed with Damascus. This is a violation of international law," she stressed.
"It is necessary to coordinate the efforts with Damascus, enlist its support and ask it for permission to carry out certain actions, especially combat operations, in the Syrian territory," the Russian diplomat said.
"Over the past two years, the ‘westerners’ have harnessed the theme of struggle against ISIS /the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which is the IS former name/," Zakharova went on to say.
"But the question is in what is the true intention. If fighting ISIS is the main goal, then what is preventing the coalition from simply joining efforts with Damascus and all the forces that are also fighting against ISIS. But if the struggle is not against ISIS, then questions really arise," the Russian diplomat stressed.