Supplying Syria with S-300 Defense System Would Lead to Regional Stabilization: Moscow

Vladimir Ermakov, Director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Foreign Ministry  sais addressing the Russian Defense Ministry’s announcement on S-300 supplies to Syria that any state had the inalienable right to provide defense industry assistance to its partners.

“This is an inalienable right of any state to provide defense industry assistance to its partners,” Ermakov said.

Russia’s supplies to Syria would be able to close Syrian airspace where necessary, Ermakov elaborated, adding  that the arguments of Moscow’s partners, who previously requested that it not deliver the S-300s to Syria, had no effect anymore, Sputnik reported.

 “At a certain stage, our other partners asked us not to do it, they gave their arguments and we took them into consideration. Now the situation has developed in such a way that the arguments do not work anymore,” he said, apparently alluding to Israel’s request in 2013.

He also stated that the chances of concluding new agreements between Russia and the US in the area of non-proliferation were not very high.

“There is nothing at all (prohibiting Russia’s move) in the area of reduction of strategic offensive weapons, missile arsenals and nuclear weapons, except the Russia-US agreements. And the current situation allows to assume that the probability of concluding some new agreements in the coming years is not very high,” Ermakov told a press conference.

‘Significant Escalation’

Responding to US National Security Adviser John Bolton’s remark that the S-300’s delivery to Syria would constitute a “significant escalation” by Moscow, Ermakov stated the S-300 systems were meant for defensive purposes, and the US was fudging when saying that Russia’s supplies would violate its national security.

“The systems are purely defensive, so when the US says that defensive weapons are undermining its national security, it’s fudging,” he said.

In addition, Ermakov stated that those steps would lead to regional stabilization, rather than escalation.

“In fact, these actions will lead to the stabilization of [the situation in the] region, as we will be able to close the airspace if and where necessary, and, most importantly, our servicemen that fulfill their international duty at the Syrian government’s invitation will be protected,” Ermakov said.

Earlier this week, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said that the deployment of the S-300s in Syria would escalate the situation in the region.

H.M