Putin Urges US to Join Russia in Fight against Global Terrorism

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed hope that Washington will join Moscow in efforts to counter international terrorism, stressing that bilateral cooperation is in the interest of the entire world.

 “We hope to join efforts with the United States in the fight against a real rather than dreamt-up threat – global terrorism,” Putin said at his 13th State of the Nation address to Russia’s Federal Assembly in the Kremlin in Moscow on Thursday, Press TV reported.

 Ties between Russia and the US have reached a post-Cold War low over the crisis in Ukraine and the war on Syria, where Moscow and Washington are backing the opposite sides to the conflict gripping the Middle Eastern country for more than five years.

The Russian leader noted that his country is looking forward to mending relations with the US after President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.

 “We are ready for cooperation with the new American administration,” he said, adding, “It’s important to normalize and develop our bilateral ties on an equal and mutually beneficial basis. We share responsibility for ensuring global security and stability and strengthening the non-proliferation regime.”

Putin further thanked Russian military service personnel for their “professionalism, honor and courage” in Syria, where Moscow has been engaged in an aerial campaign against Daesh and other terror outfits at the Damascus government’s request since September last year.

Precisely that (fighting global terrorism) is the task of our military in Syria. Terrorists have suffered some serious damage. The Russian Army and Navy have assuredly demonstrated that they are able to operate efficiently far from their home bases,” he said.

The Russian president also hailed Russia’s cooperation with China as “a role model for international partnership.”

 US failure to separate “moderate opposition” from terrorists

Meanwhile in Ankara,  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov found it odd that the UN has not yet taken the opportunity to deliver humanitarian aid to eastern Aleppo after the liberation of most of its neighborhoods from terrorists.

In a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in the Turkish city of Alanya, Lavrov said there are not now any obstacles standing in the way of delivering aid to Aleppo via the Castello road, noting that Moscow has already informed the UN of that in New York and in Geneva, according to SANA

Lavrov said that Washington has suffered utter failure in attempts to separate the so-called “moderate opposition” from terrorists, mainly Jabhat al-Nusra, noting that “This issue now has to be dealt with in retrospect.”

 “That criticism addressed to us has been eased reflects the Western counterparts have realized that the policy they had been conducting along these lines was doomed to fail,” he added.

Commenting on the western response to the liberation of eastern Aleppo, Lavrov said that “they have gone quieter somewhat lately.”

“They must’ve realized that the situation in eastern Aleppo is in no way different from the situation in Iraq’s Mosul,” he said, adding that “the West is currently urging civilians to leave Mosul, because the city has to be cleared of terrorists. The same task – that of recapturing Aleppo from terrorists – faces the Syrian army we support.”

Lavrov considered that Moscow and Ankara acknowledge the necessity of combating terrorism in Syria, putting the political settlement in its normal track, ensuring the settlement of the humanitarian issues and delivering aid to needy people.

The diplomat said all this must be implemented in accordance with the agreements that were earlier reached within the framework of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and on the basis of Resolution 2254 of the UN Security Council.

In another context, Lavrov said that Russian Forces and the Syrian Army have nothing to do with the incident with the deaths of the Turkish servicemen near the Syrian city of al-Bab last week, and the Turkish side understands that, adding that this issue was discussed immediately after the incident by representatives at various levels.

“There is a common understanding that Russia and the Syrian Air Force have nothing to do with it. However, of course, we need to continue to establish coordination to make sure that we focus on the stated objectives, namely, the fight against terrorists,” said Lavrov.

“We have coordination aimed at avoiding unintentional incidents with the US-led coalition, and Turkey is part of it,” Lavrov noted, adding that “so I believe it is necessary to verify through these channels who carried out flights.”

H.M