On the threshold of his participation in the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the country is providing military-technical assistance to the legitimate government of Syria according to its request on the basis of the principles of international law and legal contracts.
According to him, some foreign partners say that the government of Syria is opposed to the opposition, but in fact there is a struggle against terrorist organizations. "As for our presence in Syria, there is the supply of weapons to the Syrian government and training of staff, as well as providing humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people. Our help is based on the UN Charter, the fundamental principles of contemporary international law. All aid, including military, should be provided only to the legitimate governments of countries, with their consent or request, or by decision of the UN Security Council,’’ the head of state said in an interview to US journalist Charlie Rose.
"In this case, we are dealing with the request of the Syrian government for the provision of military and technical assistance. We provide it legally within international contracts," RIA Novosti cites Vladimir Putin.
The head of the Russian state pointed out that there is only one legally valid army in Syria. "There is only one regular legitimate army. This is the army of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. And he opposes the opposition according to some our international partners. But in fact the army of Assad is fighting against terrorist organizations,’’ he said.
The Russian leader also recalled the hearings in the US Senate. "You know better than me about the hearings that have just passed in the US Senate. If I'm not mistaken, the military representatives of the Pentagon reported to the senators what the country is doing for the preparation of the military part of the opposition forces. The first aim was to prepare 5-6 thousand soldiers, then 12 thousand. As a result, it became clear that it was preparing 60 thousand, but only four or five people are fighting. The others joined ISIS with American weapons," he explained.
The Russian president also spoke about military support for the illegitimate structures. "Secondly, in my view, military support for the illegitimate structures doesn’t meet the principles of contemporary international law and the UN Charter," he said.
