The threat of a direct Russian-American confrontation in Syria increased Monday after Moscow declared that it would apply to any plane the US-led coalition, located to the West of the river Euphrates, as potential targets.
Russia has said that this decision is a response to the strike by the U.S. air force’s fighter of the Syrian regime. At the request of Washington, its aircraft operated within the framework of collective protection measures supported by the United States forces trying to capture the capital of the Islamic state (a terrorist organization banned in Russia — approx. ed.), raqqa in northeast Syria.
This was the first such attack on the US aircraft of the Syrian air force with the outbreak of civil war six years ago.
Deputy Minister of foreign Affairs of Russia Sergei Ryabkov said that the US attack “should be considered… as a continuation of the American line in disregard of the norms of international law.”
“It is not an act of aggression?.. It is if you want help is for those terrorists against whom struggle, the United States, stating that they are conducting anti-terrorist policy,” Ryabkov said.
The Russian foreign Ministry also said that in response to this attack, Moscow will suspend your channel of communication with Washington, is designed to prevent collisions and hazardous incidents in the airspace of Syria.
The Prime Minister of great Britain Theresa may (Theresa May) Monday expressed his opinion on the matter, urging Russia not to stop the “use “measures to de-escalate the conflict” in Syria, as this increases the risk of airspace unintended conflict between Russian military aircraft and air force aircraft of the US-led coalition.
In response to the statements of Russia, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, marine General Joseph Dunford (Dunford Joseph) declared that the U.S. would “in the coming hours to work on this incident in order to restore the channel of communication [with Russia] to prevent incidents. And this will require some involvement of diplomats and military”.
The danger of a direct confrontation between the US and Russia began to increase after the adoption of the President of the United States Donald trump’s decision to give its military leaders unlimited control over the strategy of Washington in Syria.
However, the Pentagon insists that it did not seek to escalate the conflict and began to act only after the Syrian plane in question, dropped bombs close to the positions supported by Washington forces involved in the battles for Raqqa.
Representatives of the Russian authorities stressed that in the future Russian air defense will make the coalition aircraft maintenance. Sony added that “the threat to these aircraft can appear only in the case that they will take action, bearing in turn a threat to the Russian VKS”. In a statement the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Russia said: “Any airborne targets, including aircraft and unmanned vehicles international coalition discovered to the West of the Euphrates river, will be accepted to support the Russian ground-based air defense as air targets”.
The U.S. military confirmed Sunday carrier-based fighter-bomber of the US Navy F/A-18E/F “Super hornet” shot down a Syrian SU-22. The US said that Syrian aircraft dropped bombs near the positions of the opposition forces (Democratic forces of Syria/SDS), which are affiliates of the U.S. armed forces in the fight against ISIS. At the request of Damascus, fighter of the Syrian air force carried out a mission against ISIS.
A spokesman for U.S. Central command, Colonel John Thomas (John Thomas), American troops in the vicinity were not, and SDS was threatened for more than two hours.
The representatives SDS — Union of Kurdish and Arab armed opposition forces, interacting with the forces of Western countries said that in case of continued attacks by the Syrian air force, they will take action in self-defense.
The administration trump has promised to increase arms supplies to the forces of the SDS after came to the conclusion that these forces are able to liberate Raqqa from ISIS.
The growing tension between Washington and Moscow in connection with the attempts to dislodge the forces of ISIS from Raqqa, their reference point does not fit into the original plan of the trump of cooperation with Russia in Syria with the goal of defeating the terrorist organization.
Russia, a steadfast supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to put pressure on US, insisting to destroy ISIS, after a joint ground and air operation. However, the debate about the political future of Syria in the long term, apparently, has ceased, resulting in the American armed forces operate in a political vacuum.
Senior us lawmakers expressed concern about the lack of officially declared by the administration trump’s strategy on Syria in addition to the objective of eliminating ISIS. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy (Chris Murphy) wrote on his Twitter page: “Four direct clashes with Syria/Iran/Russia for 45 days. Trump secretly starts a new war that Congress has declared. “Red alert””.
At the same time — as if demonstrating how difficult the process of settlement in Syria — peace talks sponsored by Russia in the Kazakh capital Astana, scheduled to resume on 10 July, the same day, when will start a new round of talks under the UN aegis in Geneva.
Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced the date on Monday, knowing that it coincides with the date set by the UN. He also said that the talks will be attended by the UN special envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura (Staffan de Mistura).
As stated by the press-Secretary de Mistura, “this question is now discussed”.
