Putin in Valdai Club on Syria, the U.S. and the Middle East

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the anniversary meeting of the Valdai discussion club, where he discussed with the club members the most topical issues of current affairs. In particular, he commented on the prevailing media opinion that the Russian initiative on the transfer of Syrian chemical weapons under international control has helped the U.S. president to save face. "I do not think this initiative on putting the Syrian chemical weapons under international supervision contributed to the fact that President Obama has saved face. This is absolutely not the case. His decision was based on informed analysis, and I am very pleased that our positions on this matter coincided," Putin said. At the same time, he expressed concern about the possibility of the U.S. bypassing the UN Security Council in the future. "If a country that feels invulnerable was to decide unilaterally to strike here and there, the procedure itself and the significance of the UN Security Council will simply be reduced to zero. This would be a blow to the world order, and not to Syria," the president of Russia noted.