Putin Exposes Obama’s Refusal to Meet with Russians about Syria Solution; Calls for Unified Effort

Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that all countries genuinely interested in fighting terrorism should unify their efforts in Syria, in response to questions at the Valdai Discussion Club conference in Sochi, Russia on Oct. 22. But he also revealed that the Obama administration rejected offers by Russia to have meetings of political and military delegations between the two countries to discuss possible solutions.

“It would be wonderful if we united forces … if all the region’s countries and the outside powers, including the United States, came together on this,” Putin said. “In essence, this is just what we proposed.” He noted that Russia had proposed a military delegation go to Moscow and then that a Russian delegation led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev go to the United States, but both proposals were refused by Washington.

On the Russian military effort in Syria, he said “We are acting in accordance with our convictions and with the norms of international law. We hope that coordinated action between our strike aircraft and the other military systems being used, coordinated with the Syrian army’s offensive, will produce positive results.”

Speaking just one day before the Vienna meeting of Russia, the US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Putin reported that, in fact, he had raised a question about fighting ISIS with Al Assad when the Syrian President was in Moscow on Oct. 20. “I asked him, ‘How would you react if we see that there is an armed opposition in Syria today that is ready to genuinely fight terrorism, fight the Islamic State, and we were to support their efforts in this fight against terrorism just as we are supporting the Syrian army?’ He said, ‘I think it would be positive.’|”

“We are reflecting on this now and will try, if it all works out,” Putin reported, “to translate these agreements into practical steps.”

Putin also added that all concerned countries should be thinking to the future of economic and social reconstruction of Syria, and indeed, of the Middle East.