Russia open to coordinating airstrikes in Syria with US: Deputy defense minister
Russia says it is ready to coordinate with the United States airstrikes against positions of the Takfiri Daesh terrorists in Syria.
Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said Tuesday that the Russian military “in principle” agrees with proposals made by the US military on coordinating airstrikes in Syria, Russia’s Tass news agency reported.
Russia has been targeting positions of Daesh in western and northern Syria since September 30. The United States and its allies, including Turkey, have been involved in the so-called campaign against purported Daesh positions in the east.
The comments by Antonov came about a week after defense officials from the US and Russia held a one-hour video teleconference to discuss ways to “deconflict” the Syrian airspace, or prevent unintended air incidents, including collisions. The two sides reportedly failed to reach an agreement and made no clear hint that such a consensus could emerge in the future.
US Army Defense Department spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza said earlier Tuesday that Washington would not coordinate coalition activities in Syria with Russia on the grounds that Russians have ignored a “proposal” on the issue.
The US and its allies in NATO have been critical of Russia’s targeting of the so-called moderate opposition in Syria, although Moscow has denied the charges. The criticism hit a new high on Monday after NATO officials gathered for an emergency meeting in Brussels to discuss Russia’s two reported violations last weekend of Turkey’s airspace, which is a NATO member.
Possible blockade along Syrian coastline
In a separate development, Vladimir Komoyedov, who heads the Defense Committee of Russia’s State Duma (lower house of parliament), said Tuesday that Russia may use its naval forces to establish a blockade along the Syrian coastline to facilitate the delivery of armaments into Syrian territory.
“Regarding the large-scale use of the Black Sea Fleet in this operation, I don’t think it will happen, but in terms of a coastal blockade, I think that it’s quite [possible],” he said, adding, “The delivery of artillery strikes hasn’t been excluded; the ships are ready for this, but there is no point in it for now. The terrorists are in deep, where the artillery cannot reach.”
Russia is currently running a naval facility in the western Syrian province of Tartus, which provides Moscow with access to the Mediterranean Sea. Four Russian warships, including a missile cruiser and a destroyer, are currently deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.
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