All news

Damascus invited Russian army, not American troops, to Syria — Kremlin

US authorities assert that the American forces lately have encountered an increased number of provocative and escalating actions on the part of Russia and Iran in the Middle East, including in Syria

MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/. Russian servicemen are stationed in Syria at the invitation of the local authorities while their US colleagues are not, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday, commenting on an article by The Washington Post.

According to the newspaper, US authorities assert that the American forces lately have encountered an increased number of provocative and escalating actions on the part of Russia and Iran in the Middle East, including in Syria.

"Let’s not forget that there is a critical difference after all in the presence of the Americans there and in our presence. After all, our contingent is located there in full compliance with international law, at the invitation of the Syrian leadership. And the Americans don’t have such an invitation," the Kremlin official highlighted when responding to a question by TASS on whether tensions are increasing between the formations of Russian and US troops in Syria.

That said, Putin’s press secretary noted that information on the situation in Syria should be checked with the Defense Ministry. "Here I cannot comment. It is more appropriate to ask military specialists at the Defense Ministry," he added.