GORKI, October 16. /TASS/. The United States-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group has achieved no results for the period of its actions in Syria, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Sergey Brilyov for the Vesti v Subbotu ("News on Saturday") program.
"ISIL [former name of IS] keeps spreading. Only Russia’s interference has changed the situation," Medvedev underscored.
"It is clear to everyone that the result of their activity in that region to fight ISIL is virtually zero," he said.
US refusal to hold talks on Syria shortsighted
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called the United States’ refusal to hold talks on Syria shortsighted.
"They say that they will not hold talks. This is in my opinion a shortsighted and weak position, because strong leaders and states, who assume responsibility, hold talks in such cases, even in a situation when they assess something in a different way," Medvedev said.
He said the position taken by Washington regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that the United States receive a Russian delegation led by the head of government "is silly behavior."
"Americans just show their weakness as a result of such decisions and refusal to hold talks," Medvedev said.
He said Russia has never refused to hold talks.
Russia’s Aerospace Forces started delivering pinpoint strikes at facilities of the Islamic State terrorist organization in Syria on September 30. The air group comprises over 50 aircraft and helicopters, including Sukhoi Su-24M, Su-25SM and state-of-the-art Su-34 aircraft. Dozens of terrorist facilities have been hit by Russian aircraft.
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On October 7, four missile ships of the Russian Navy’s Caspian Flotilla fired 26 Kalibr cruise missiles (NATO codename Sizzler) at militants’ facilities in Syria. On October 8, the Syrian army passed to a large-scale offensive.
Russia’s Armed Forces act on a request from Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Russian Federation does not plan to take part in ground operations in Syria.
According to UN statistics, fighting between Syrian government troops and militants has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced millions since its start in 2011.
An international peace conference on Syria, dubbed Geneva-2, organized by Russia and the United States and designed to negotiate a solution to the Syrian crisis, held in January and February 2014, brought no particular progress.