World

Russia scolds Hammond for saying Putin fanning Syrian civil war

Hammond had said Putin was strengthening IS militants on the ground by bombing President Assad's opponents

Reuters February 02, 2016

britain 039 s foreign secretary philip hammond speaks during a joint news conference with jordan 039 s foreign minister nasser judeh at the foreign ministry in amman jordan february 1 2016 photo reuters

Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond speaks during a joint news conference with Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh at the Foreign Ministry in Amman, Jordan, February 1, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

MOSCOW: Russia scolded British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond on Tuesday for suggesting that President Vladimir Putin was fanning the flames of the Syrian civil war.

Hammond told Reuters in an interview on Monday that Putin was strengthening Islamic State militants on the ground by bombing President Bashar al-Assad's opponents, who the West hope can shape Syria once Assad is gone.

Putin is fanning Syrian civil war, Britain's Hammond says

Asked about Hammond's comments, Russia's Foreign Ministry said he was spreading "dangerous disinformation", while the Kremlin said his statements could not be taken seriously.

"To make such accusations is not logical, it is not correct. It contradicts the essence of those efforts that Russia is making in Syria," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Russia is making rather massive and consistent efforts to help the Syrians in their fight against international terrorism," Peskov said.

Kremlin slams White House over Putin corruption claim

Russia says it targets a range of militants in Syria, not just Islamic State, although it insists it focuses on IS. Russian officials say the West is playing with fire by trying to topple Assad.

A United Nations envoy met Syrian government representatives on Tuesday to try to advance peace talks that have been rendered almost impossible by continued fighting in a conflict that has killed 250,000 people in the past five years and caused a refugee crisis in the region and Europe.

COMMENTS (1)

Ali | 8 years ago | Reply The criminal Russians are killing children’s in schools in Syria, even ISIS never target schools, this is pure EVIL where is the outrage of the civilized world. Why Russia supporting Tyrant Asad anyway ? and why the world is silent against the Tyrant Asad ? why your the American and Europeans only bomb the weak ? if ISIS is terrorists Asad is 10 times worst, because as per Humans Rights Watch, Red cross and Amnesty international Asad and his thugs are responsible for 90% of the civilian deaths in Syria, 10% is on ISIS and all other rebels put together, so why we cannot bomb out Asad ? Because he is secular murderer and not Islamic ? as long as a murderer is secular he can get away with any crime ? And we wonder what drive Muslim youth in west joins terror groups like ISIS ? If the so called good doers stay's silent and look other way, we shouldn’t be surprise if someone with a pinch of humanity joins extremists because we the self proclaimed civilized people left them with no better options. How come in this age and time we have a murderer as worst as Hitler killing, murdering openly, running concentration camps, cutting off food and water from cities full of people. Where is our outrage, if we don’t act against his brutality now the Russian dictator Putin is preparing to take over Europe soon, he already taken control of anti-US and anti-Europe propaganda to over through elected got by brainwashing people through social media. Get your act together act against the real evil now

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