Anti-ISIL Coalition Not Ready to Cooperate with Russia: Lavrov
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russia is ready to coordinate anti-terrorism actions with the West and Arab countries, but the US-led anti-ISIL coalition is not ready yet, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.
Russia’s Sukhoi Su-25, Su-24M and Su-34 attack aircraft, with the support of Su-30 jets, commenced precision airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria on September 30, following a request from Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"We believe that in talks with our US and Persian Gulf colleagues we feel more understanding of the threat and understanding of the need to fight," Lavrov told a press conference, as reported by Sputnik News.
"We are interested in establishing coordination between the coalition, led by the United States and the countries of the Arab world, including the countries of the Persian Gulf, and our military, so that it’s not only establishing rules to avoid incidents, but so that we could coordinate joint actions. Our colleagues from the coalition are not ready for this yet," Lavrov said.
Since the beginning of the air campaign, the Russian Aerospace Forces have carried out about 300 strikes against terrorist positions, killing 300 militants and destroying command centers, training camps and ammunition depots. Russian warships in the Caspian Sea have fired 26 cruise missiles on ISIL targets.
A US-led coalition of over 60 nations has been conducting anti-ISIL airstrikes in Iraq and Syria for more than a year without the approval of the UN Security Council or the Syrian government.
Earlier this month, Russia had asked other countries fighting the ISIL militant group in Syria for information on the extremists.