Russia can’t bomb its way to Syria peace: Obama
US President Barack Obama has warned Russia against its fight on Daesh terrorists in Syria, saying Moscow could not “bomb their way” to a peaceful solution in the war-torn country.
“They are not going to be able to bomb their way to a peaceful situation inside of Syria,” Obama said Friday during a joint press conference with visiting South Korean President Park Geun-Hye.
Obama made the remarks after US and Russia reached a provisional deal on aerial operations in Syria to prevent mid-air clashes in the Arab country.
He said the basic understanding aimed at “de-conflicting” US and Russian military in Syria does not mean that there has been a “meeting of the minds in terms of strategy.”
Russia has steped up its bombing campaign in support of the government of Bashar al-Assad in fight against Daesh Takfiri terrorists.
A senior Russian general said on Friday that there had been growing discontent among Daesh militants with their command in Syria, with many of them deserting the terror group’s ranks as Moscow presses ahead with its air raids against terrorist positions.
Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov, who heads operations in the Russian general staff, said “demoralized” Takfiris are now abandoning the extremist terror group “en masse”.
Meanwhile, the US continues to accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of focusing on the opposition groups that are fighting the government of Assad, a claim that has been repeatedly rejected by Moscow.
On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the US will take all necessary steps to counter Moscow's “malign influence” in Syria.
“We will take all necessary steps to deter Russia’s malign and destabilizing influence, coercion and aggression,” Carter said.
Russia launched its air campaign against terrorists in Syria on September 30. The US has also been carrying out its own airstrikes in Syria, allegedly pounding Daesh positions inside the country.
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