Russian operations’ duration depends on Syrian army’s achievements, says Ivanov

Kremlin administration chief Sergey Ivanov has declared that duration of the Russian aerospace forces’ operations in Syria depends on the Syrian army’s achievements on the ground, according to the ItarTass.

The Russian official told reports: “”As for the operation in Syria, I think it will be continued for certain time. As it was said at the beginning, its duration will depend on the Syrian army’s achievements on the ground.

He added: “So far the Syrian army is on an offensive. Let us wait and see the results.”

“Any military operation is to end in political settlement,” Ivanov asserted.

Contacts between Russia and the United States

Answering a question on whether more active cooperation between the United States and Russia in combating terrorism was possible amid the recent developments, Ivanov said, “[Yes, that’s] possible. Actually, contacts between Russia and the United States in countering terrorism never stopped, but now they are less intensive.”

At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that “the prospects for their intensification and development depend not only on us, everything depends on the mutual political will and a concrete situation.”

No link between Russian forces operation in Syria and Russian airliner crash in Egypt

On the other hand, Ivanov affirmed that no link can be traced so far between the Russian aerospace forces’ operation in Syria and Russia’s A321 airliner crash in Egypt.

“I see no relation between them. The cause of the plane crash has not been finally established. The terror act is just one of the probed versions. I strongly doubt, having taken part in the investigation of several air crashes, that the probe will be completed this year,” he said

Basma Qaddour