MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. A lack of cooperation with the United States on the Syrian conflict settlement is one of the reasons for the revitalization of militants from the Islamic State terrorist organization in Syria, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
"We regret that we still did not manage to prevent such active offences," Peskov told journalists in the wake of militants’ attack on the city of Palmyra. "We also regret that we still have no coordinated efforts and real cooperation with other countries, first of all with the United States, which is unwilling to cooperate."
"This cooperation was likely to enable us to avoid similar attacks of terrorists," Peskov added.
Moscow hopes that counterattacks by Islamic State terrorists in Syria will be rebuffed at an early date, he went on.
"We hope that these counterattacks by Islamic State gunmen will be suppressed soon," Peskov said.
Peskov noted that Russia would push ahead with its efforts to counter international terrorism and provide assistance to the Syrian army in its fight against militants. "What is happening around Palmyra is further evidence that the threat emanating from the ISIL is serious," he said. Peskov called the absence of cooperation with the US on the Syrian issue one of the reasons for stepped up activities by Islamic State gunmen in Syria.
Palmyra developments
The Kremlin spokesman stressed possible loss of Palmyra is a blow to the image of the entire civilized humankind which is doing nothing to uproot terrorism because of contradictions between countries.
- Homs governor says Syrian troops evacuated 80% of Palmyra's residents before retreat
- Syrian troops retreat from Palmyra’s central quarters - Homs governor
- More than 4,000 IS militants attempt capturing Palmyra, relocated forces from Raqqa
- Syrian military supported by the Russian aircraft repel IS attacks near Palmyra
- TV: Islamic State re-enters ancient city of Palmyra
"Possible loss of Palmyra is a blow to the entire civilized humankind rather than to Russia," he told journalists when asked whether Islamic State’s recapture of the Syrian ancient city of Palmyra could be a blow to Russia’s image.
According to the Kremlin spokesman, the image of the entire civilized humankind is at stake as "being torn apart by contradictions" and guided by selfish time-serving motives, "which in no way encourage closer cooperation," representatives of global nations "are doing not a single hand’s turn to repel international terrorism personified by Islamic State."
He noted that the question was worded incorrectly as Palmyra in a Syrian city. "It is not Russia that is losing Palmyra," he stressed.
Islamic State (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) militants attacked the ancient city of Palmyra located 240 kilometers off Damascus last Friday. Apart from that, militants tried to seize oil well and a military airdrome near the city. The governor of the Homs province, where Palmyra is located, Talal al-Barrazi, said the Syrian army command had taken a decision to withdraw troops from the city.