The head of the international affairs committee of the Russian Lower House of Parliament, Aleksey Pushkov, briefed journalists on various issues. Pushkov is just back from Strasbourg, where the Russian delegation attended a winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Ukraine was at the top of the agenda. Aleksey Pushkov made Russia’s position on this clear.
The Russian politician also talked about Syria. He called the war in Syria a business, referring to the foreign funding to al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups that are fuelling the crisis. He said that a quick result can’t be expected from the recently-held Geneva 2 peace talks but added that he is optimistic about them. Aleksey Pushkov also responded to the news of the US Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFall, stepping down from his post and leaving Russia. Pushkov didn’t comment on the reasons behind the move but said that McFall attempted to be an envoy and an opposition at the same time. Aleksey Pushkov is one of Russia’s most prominent politicians. His comments reflect Russia’s stance on international affairs. Ukraine and Syria are two of the biggest issues at the moment. Russia is keen to find a resolution to the conflicts there through diplomacy.
M.D