Russian Ambassador in Damascus: Syrian Army fighting defensive battles in Aleppo to prevent al-Nusra from changing balance of power

Moscow, SANA- Russian Ambassador in Damascus Alexander Kinshchak affirmed that the Syrian Arab Army, aided by Russian Air Force, is fighting fierce defensive battles in Aleppo and its countryside to prevent Jabhat al-Nusra and its allies from laying siege to Syrian troops and changing the balance of power in their favor.

In a statement to reporters in Moscow, Kinshchak said that Russia is supporting the Syrian army in carrying out defensive operations because “Jabhat al-Nusra is mobilizing more troops and equipment and launching large-scale attacks where the Russian Air Force is destroying these targets once they progress to weaken the ability of extremists to attack. And in general, there is a very violent fight there, but for government forces it is defensive in nature.”

The Russian diplomat affirmed that the Syrian army has refrained from conducting military operations in areas where armed groups which officially joined the cessation of hostilities agreement exist, adding he is not sure that the military operation will be conducted in Aleppo in the foreseeable future since so far Russia and Syria have been strictly committed to the conditions of the cessation of hostilities agreement.

He pointed out that that various international organizations, Western and some of the regional mass media began to feign concern over the humanitarian situation in Aleppo only when the Syrian air force started to deliver airstrikes against terrorist convoys moving along the Castello road which is used to provide supplies to terrorist groups around the city from abroad.

Kinshchak pointed out that the Turkish regime hinders the delivering of humanitarian assistance to Syria’s city of Hasaka by land which pushed the relevant bodies to deliver them by air, adding that this is a costly solution. “But nobody gets angry over this and nobody threatens with sanctions or the use of force. This is precisely what one calls double standards,” he added.

He pointed out that the United Nations and the International Red Cross are still unable to deliver aid to a number of Syrian cities besieged by terrorists.

In a relevant context, Kinshchak said that Syria’s government is ready to resume talks in Geneva and they have been speaking about it repeatedly, including in public, adding that the one who is hindering dialogue and blocking a political solution for the crisis is Riyadh’s opposition delegation.

He described the demand of Riyadh delegation for power to be handed over to it and its refusal of dialogue with the government as a radical and unrealistic position that hinders any compromise that might happen.

The Russian diplomat said that there is progress with working with the United States to set up a unified map for the distribution of terrorist organizations in Syria, but the process is going very slowly.

He ruled out the possibility of bombing the sites of Syrian army proposed by officials in the US State Department, describing it as a publicity stunt which is part of some presidential candidates’ electoral campaigns.

Manar al-Frieh/Manal

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