Sarkozy: we need Russia's help to defeat IS

French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy has urged Russia to participate in the fight against the terrorist organization Islamic State.

"Setting the stage for a new Cold War with Russia is a serious mistake by the West. Today we need Russia to end the conflict in Syria and our fight against IS," TASS cited him as saying.

"Russia should show its good will and help the international community to defeat Islamic State, as well as to settle the confused Syrian situation," the former president said.

A military observer of the TASS news agency, retired Colonel Viktor Litovkin, told Vestnik Kavkaza that "our troops will not take part in the hostilities against IS." "Russia can help the coalition with its military equipment, weapons, ammunition, experts and advisers. Maybe even with intelligence, navigation systems, combat support, and so on," he added.

"Those who brewed this mess in the Middle East should die in the fighting. Russian soldiers will not fight," the expert stressed. He also noted that Russia is interested in victory over this evil.

The chief editor of 'National Defense' magazine, Igor Korotchenko, completely agrees with Litovkin. "In no way should our troops take part in the hostilities in the Middle East. This is absolutely impossible. The IS problem is an error of US foreign policy. Therefore, the United States itself should keep fighting the Islamists. If France wants to join in, given its role in a number of US military adventures, in particular in Libya, then go ahead," he said.

"Russia is already making a major contribution to the fight against IS, delivering weapons to Syria and Iraq, reinforcing government troops by new military equipment. And, in principle, that is enough. With regard to other possible areas of combating IS, first of all, it could be the cooperation between special services, the identification of persons possibly involved in IS. It should be borne in mind that the flow of illegal refugees from North Africa to Europe included several thousand of the IS militants. Our security services are also ready to cooperate in terms of information exchange and consulting," Igor Korotchenko concluded.