Putin: Some Countries’ Passivity and Complicity in Terrorism Led to ISIL Creation

MOSCOW-Russian President Vladimir Putin said that someone earns billions due to illegal oil trade with ISIL.

“Not only has someone covered and continues to cover terrorists, their illegal trade of oil, people, drugs, artworks and weapons, but some continue to earn hundreds of millions and billions of dollars on it,” Putin said during a ceremony receiving 15 new ambassadors, according to Sputnik news.

The Russian leader said that all global threats are first of all related to terrorism.

 Passivity and complicity in terrorism by a number of countries led to the creation of the so-called “Islamic State” terrorist group, Putin said.

“It is the passivity of some countries, and often direct complicity in terrorism that led to the creation of the nightmarish phenomenon that is the so-called Islamic State.”

All attempts to whitewash actions committed by terrorists should be considered as complicity, Putin said.

“We need to fight this evil [terrorism] without any compromises, consistently. We believe that any attempts to whitewash terrorism, to condone terrorists must be considered as complicity in terror, complicity in crimes.”

The international community needs to join efforts to fight against terrorism, the Russian president added.

“I’d like to believe that after terror attacks on a Russian airliner in Egypt, the tragic events in France, brutal mass killings in Lebanon, Nigeria, Mali, there will be an understanding of the need to finally unite efforts of the entire international community in the fight against terrorism.”

Russia will continue efforts aimed at reaching an agreement on the fight against terror, including during the Vienna talks on the Syrian reconciliation, Vladimir Putin said.

Russia has been conducting airstrikes on ISIL positions in Syria since September 30. Putin has repeatedly called for the creation of a wide international coalition to combat terrorism.

H.M