Translated material
The United States called on Greece to close the sky for Russian aircraft delivering the humanitarian cargo to Syria
Washington sent an official request to Athens with a request to close the Greek airspace for Russian aircraft with humanitarian aid for Syria. The receipt of the relevant document has already been confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Reuters reports with reference to the press secretary of the department.
According to the source, the country's authorities are currently considering this request and have not yet made a final decision. Nevertheless, on the eve of RIA Novosti, with reference to diplomatic sources, the Athens refused Washington at this request.
At the same time, already on Monday, the representative of the Greek Foreign Ministry only confirmed the information that the request was received. He specified that the country's authorities are still considering the document.
Also on Monday, the head of the Russian Ministry of Emergencies, Vladimir Puchkov, said that his department carries out various international humanitarian operations, including assisting Syria and other states of the region, the Russian BBC service reports.
Russia, as a rule, uses the airport of the Syrian port city of Latakia to deliver humanitarian aid. A direct route from Moscow to Latakia passes over the territory of Turkey.
As the military observer Pavel Felgenhauer explained to the Russian Service BBC, in the past Russia had problems with the delivery of goods to Syria through Turkish territory. “A few years ago, the Turkish authorities detained a plane flying from Moscow to Syria with military equipment. People and the plane were released in the end, but the load confiscated. Therefore, Russia has no choice but to use the airspace of Greece. There is, of course, the option of delivering goods through Iran and Iraq. Iran as a friend of Russia, may pass aircraft, but Iraq is influenced by the Americans. And the goods should be taken urgently, time, time, time Little, ”he says.
The Kremlin is considered premature to discuss the issue of closing the airspace of Greece for Russian aircraft at the request of the United States. This was announced to reporters by a press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov, writes RBC .
"There was a corresponding statement by Greek partners who said that they were considering this request. Until the reaction from Athens will be received, to talk about it prematurely," Peskov explained.
Last Saturday, US Secretary of State John Kerry called the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov to express concern about the strengthening of the Russian military presence in Syria, where Russia can maintain the regime of President Bashar Assad. The conversation was reported by Reuters with reference to the information of the press service of the US Foreign Ministry. The Russian Foreign Ministry has not been mentioned in the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Kerry expressed the opinion that, "if such messages are accurate, then such actions can lead to a further escalation of the conflict" in Syria, "the deaths of a larger number of civilians, an increase in the flow of refugees and the risk of confrontation with the coalition acting against the IG." In conclusion, diplomats agreed to continue the discussion on Syria "in New York later this month", that is, at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.
The website of the Russian Foreign Ministry said that "during the conversations, various aspects of the situation in Syria and around it were discussed, the tasks of combating ISIS and other terrorist groups, as well as issues of interaction in support of the UN efforts to establish the political process." Lavrov and Kerry "agreed to continue close contacts on the problems of the Syrian settlement."
In early September, in the Israeli and Turkish media there were reports that Russian aircraft allegedly arrived at the base under Damascus, which should be included in the Air strikes by the Islamic State terrorist group banned in the Russian Federation. Also, observers allegedly noticed a strange cargo on board the Russian large landing ship "Nikolai Filchenkov" after he passed the Zone of the Black Sea Sters in the direction of the Mediterranean Sea on August 20.
In the United States, military support for the Bashar Assad regime is called destabilizing. At a briefing on September 3, the White House spokeswoman Josh Ernest said: "Any military support for the Assad regime for any purpose - in the form of sending military personnel, supplying aircraft, weapons or financing - is destabilizing and counterproductive."
At the same time, observers pay attention to the fact that the Russian leader Vladimir Putin hatches a plan to create a new international coalition to combat terrorism and the IS in particular. In the light of Moscow’s intentions to lead this process, the alleged presence of the Russian military in Syria and their possible preparation for the bombing of IG positions in the territory of this country are seemed quite logical.
Last Friday, the President of the Russian Federation again touched the Syrian issue , speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. He confirmed that Russia proposes to create an international coalition to combat extremism and terrorism. Putin noted that he had already discussed this topic with a number of world leaders, including the presidents of the United States, Turkey and Egypt, the leadership of Saudi Arabia, as well as the king of Jordan. Work is underway with partners of the Russian Federation in Syria, where the positions of the militants of the Islamic State are located.
Dangerous maneuvers around Syria with the participation of Russia
According to the world press, Russia activated its activity in Syria, directing the soldiers and weapons to protect its base in Tartus and Bashar al -Assad himself. The efforts of Moscow to support Assad can aggravate a crisis with refugees in Europe and complicate the actions of the United States to combat jihadists, the US State Department says.
"According to the State Department, US Secretary of State John Kerry told his Russian colleague on Saturday that the United States is deeply concerned about the fact that the Kremlin may have been planning to significantly expand military support to Syria President Bashar Assad . York Times .
The officials of the State Department indicate the danger that Russian airstrikes can interfere with air-air operations that the United States and their partners conduct in Syria. Russian aircraft or Syrian government forces supported by Russia can attack the opposition groups that Washington supports, the material quoted by Inopressa says.
The author of the article, citing experts, reports that "in Moscow there are different points of view on the question of whether Russia should support Assad as a stronghold against the" Islamic state "prohibited in the Russian Federation or strive for a political transition period during which it can be freed from power." The rigid line "coexists with more conciliatory positions of the Foreign Ministry."
"The US intelligence received certificates of a significant increase in the involvement of the Russian army in the Syrian Civil War, including satellite pictures of the construction of the facility - presumably the Russian base for the concentration of troops and heavy equipment - at the port city, which is the strong point of the Syrian president Bashar al -Assad," reports American officials The Los Angeles Times in the article, in the article, in the article published on September 5th.
The photo dosage about the possible construction of a military residential facility near the international airport in the province of Latakia is a significant evidence that the Putin government is more involved in the war.
In addition, the Russians asked for at least one country bordering Syria, to allow the flight over its territory of the group of Russian combat aircraft to the territory of Syria. "Sources did not name a specific country, but Türkiye lies between Russia and Syria," the authors of the article write.
"American officials did not come to the firm conviction that Russia intends to enter the war in Syria," the publication notes. However, they are afraid that Moscow will help Assad’s troops in attacks on opponents of the government, some of which the United States provide assistance that Russia can extend Assad’s power, and as a result, the civil war will be delayed even more.
“Since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, in 2011, a continuous stream of Russian weapons and material weapons has been entered in Syria - to help Assad’s troops, and in recent weeks in the reports it is reported that the volumes of assistance are growing,” journalists write, also talking about video reports and messages on the Internet.
"Analysts say that the data on the local indicate a slightly intensified support of the Assad regime on the part of Russia, but perhaps prematurely argue that there has been any change in politics," the journalists of The Financial Times write.