Russia, Iran and Turkey are in “close contact” over the conflict in Syria, Moscow said Wednesday, after a shock offensive has seen Islamist-led rebels capture the second-largest city of Aleppo.
“The foreign ministers of the three guarantor countries — Russia, Iran and Turkey — are in close contact with each other,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Wednesday.
Moscow is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is supporting his attempts to quash the rebellion with air strikes, while Ankara has historically supported some anti-government forces.
Russia and Turkey brokered a 2016 ceasefire between the various rebel groups and Syrian forces, with Iran joining as a “guarantor state.”
Zakharova said Russia was “actively working with international partners to ensure the rapid stabilization of the situation in Syria.”
In a phone call on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the conflict needed a “speedy end,” and condemned “terrorist aggression against the Syrian state.
A senior official from the office of Iran’s supreme leader was also in Moscow for talks on Wednesday, the Iranian Embassy said in a statement.
Russia, which announced naval and air force drills in the eastern Mediterranean this week, has accused Ukraine of backing the Syrian Islamist rebels.
At the United Nations on Tuesday, Russia’s envoy Vassily Nebenzia said Ukraine had supported the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) with weapons and instructors, without presenting any evidence.
“Ukrainian military instructors from the GUR are present… training HTS fighters for combat operations,” including against Russian troops in Syria, said Nebenzia.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has designated The Moscow Times as an “undesirable” organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a “foreign agent.”
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work “discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership.” We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It’s quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you’re defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
×
Remind me next month
Thank you! Your reminder is set.
