Kremlin says no link between Syria political settlement, Russian aerospace forces’ operation

MOSCOW, October 6. /TASS/. The Kremlin thinks it is wrong to link the political settlement in Syria with the operation of Russia’s aerospace forces now underway to support government troops in the fight against terrorists, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. The Kremlin spokesman commented on media reports saying that the Syrian opposition members claim that Russia’s actions in the country make them refuse to hold talks on settlement. "The political track and political settlement is the final objective of all the actions of Russia. This is the certainly the only possible goal of the whole international community," Peskov said. The Syrian leadership has the same goal, he added. "That’s why linking the prospects of settlement with Russia’s aerospace forces’ operation is hardly likely," Peskov said. The presidential spokesman said Russian military representatives and the president have stressed many times that the Russian airstrikes are "aimed against the terrorist groups and there is a great number of these groups there." The Kremlin spokesman also commented on the CNN reports that Russia appears to be moving troops and weapons for a "possible ground attack in Syria." "CNN could have mixed this up. They mix up Putin with Yeltsin," Peskov said, reminding of the error that occurred during the US TV channel broadcast of the UN General Assembly last month. Putin and other Russian official representatives have repeatedly stressed that that Russia’s ground operation in Syria was out of question. Read more