Putin: The U.S. is responsible for the breakdown of the ceasefire in Syria
At a meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the United States had disrupted the ceasefire in Syria.
According to him, US President Barack Obama had promised to separate the terrorists from the opposition in Syria in seven days. “The United States have admitted that part of Aleppo is still occupied by terrorist organizations, Jabhat an-Nusra [also known as the Al-Nusra Front] and ISIL, and it can be seen on video, when we observe the ISIL and Al-Nusra banners in certain districts of Aleppo,” Putin said.
Putin added that the United States also recognized the need to separate the terrorists from the opposition “and assured us that they would do this. And after that we agreed to begin together, to define right on the battlefield where the healthy part of the opposition was, and we would not disturb them at all, and where the terrorists were, to work upon these terrorists together with our American partners.” The Russian president noted that these promises were given repeatedly, including by Obama.
“Once again this issue was raised during our meeting in China [in early September]. Indeed, my American partner, President Obama, had proposed to separate them once again… But the fact remains that instead of separating terrorists from the sound part of the opposition, the US partners have broken the truce themselves… If there is already an agreement about something, it is necessary to fulfill it and at least not to shift blame to us or accuse us of all mortal sins. It’s simply indecent… We still behave moderately and do not response rudely to our partners, but everything has its limits and we can.”
Earlier, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the resolution to the conflict in Syria is impossible without the participation of Russia and Iran. According to Kerry, the exclusion of these countries from the negotiation process would mean the creation of new problems.
“We also continue to make efforts to find a diplomatic solution in Syria. And I am sure we will find a way out of this crisis – the largest since the end of World War II. This problem cannot be solved simply by writing a check to support the refugees. It is necessary to stop their flow. This requires comprehensive diplomatic efforts, and it is the most difficult task that we have ever faced,” the politician summed up.