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Russia must not make concessions to US in resolving Syrian conflict — senior lawmaker

"There is an impression that the US has made one step forward in Syria. At the same time, it makes at least one step backwards", senior Russian lawmaker Alexei Pushkov noted

MOSCOW, September 4. /TASS/. Moscow must not make concessions to Washington in the Syrian settlement as this would lead to the reinforcement of the radical Islamic opposition, senior Russian lawmaker Alexei Pushkov, who chairs the State Duma foreign affairs committee, said on Sunday.

"Now Obama wants us to say - well, yes, we won’t support Syria’s armed forces in their fight against terrorists as there are those among them whom you like. It’s unclear why Russia should compromise," Pushkov said in the interview with "Life Zvuk" radio station commenting on a statement made by US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China.

In the Syrian issue, the United States makes a step forward and a step backwards by trying to simultaneously fight against the IS group and supporting the radical opposition calling for toppling the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, he said.

"There is an impression that the US has made one step forward in Syria. At the same time, it makes at least one step backwards. On the one hand, they take real steps in the fight against the IS and on the other hand they try to preserve the coalition of Islamic radicals that is not part of the IS but rests upon Jabhat al-Nusra and the Free Syrian Army," he said.

At a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Theresa May ahead of the G20 summit in China’s Hangzhou, Obama said it will be difficult for the sides to switch to a new stage of settlement in Syria without Russia’s concessions. Obama noted that the talks with Russia on Syria have a key role in resolving the conflict.

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Foreign policy Alexey Pushkov

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