MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. A number of states claiming to have the status of major powers failed to counter terrorism in Syria together with Russia and even tried to hinder this fight, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said on Thursday during the Moscow Conference on International Security.
He noted that Russia does not abandon anyone in need, and the proof of that is the country’s contribution to the victory over terrorism in Syria. Russia sent its troops to Syria in response to the legitimate government’s request at a decisive moment, he said.
"Fighting side by side, our troops and Syrian troops dealt a powerful blow to the terrorists, who were planning to create a global caliphate in Eurasia. During those difficult months, Russians, together with the brotherly nation of Syria, did not just fight for the future of Syria, they fought for the whole world that terrorists were acting against," Patrushev said. "It is regrettable that certain states claiming to have the status of major powers did not consider it necessary to stand together with us against this evil, and they even made a great deal of effort to hinder the fight against it," he said.
According to the Russian Security Council secretary, Russia is actively aiding the post-war recovery of Syria, the return of refugees and their integration to peaceful life, providing humanitarian aid and helping to rebuild the economy, education and healthcare in the country. "Our country has learned a difficult lesson better than others: you can’t beat terrorism on the field of battle, you need to eradicate its causes - poverty, lack of social security, lack of education. So today, by helping build hospitals and schools on Syrian territory, we continue the fight started by our troops," Patrushev added.