Churkin: Russian Military Strategy Aimed at Defeating Terrorism

Parts of last week’s Kommersant interview with Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin, have been published in English by Russia Beyond the Headlines. In that interview, Churkin said that Syrian President Assad’s statement of last week, that he would fight until complete victory is achieved, conflicts with Russia’s goals in Syria.

Churkin went on to say, that Russia’s military strategy in Syria is aimed at the defeat of terrorism and that Russia believes that this will make a political settlement possible.

“The most intransigent oppositionists, who are supported by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, are still convinced that they can ‘break’ Damascus,” he said. “This was one of the reasons for continuing the conflict. Now, I hope, they and those who support them will understand that a political settlement is necessary. The Americans have already understood this.” He noted that the oppositionists continue to say that the sooner Assad leaves, the better, but the U.S. has moved away from that position since the beginning of the Russian military intervention.

RBTH also published in English the Kommersant article accompanying the Churkin interview, which reports — quoting a number of Moscow-based experts — that Moscow and Damascus seriously disagree on the way forward.

“Bashar Assad’s latest statements prove that Moscow and Damascus’ positions on key issues concerning Syria’s regulation seriously diverge,” Kommersant reports. “Moscow is calling on Damascus to accept the political solution within the framework of the Geneva process, while Damascus prefers to use force combined with ‘local truces.’ In the opinion of many experts interviewed by Kommersant, Bashar Assad’s chosen course not only hinders Russia from converting its military successes in Syria into political dividends, but also threatens to further aggravate Russia’s relations with the West and the Arabic world.”