Russia: US arms deliveries to Syria militants prompted Turkey's offensive
(VOVWORLD) -The Pentagon’s deliveries of cutting-edge weapons, including man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), to pro-American units have triggered Turkey’s military operation in north Syria, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
 Turkish troops head to the Syrian border, in Karkamis, Turkey (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
According to the Ministry’s report, such irresponsible steps of the US in Syria tend to derail the process of peaceful settlement and block the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, in which Kurds are due to be full participants. Ankara’s extremely negative reaction was sparked by Washington’s announcements on deployment of ‘border forces’ in regions neighboring Turkey as well as other US steps towards the partition of Syria and the steps backing up militants’ armed groups
Earlier in the day, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement voicing its concerns over Turkish military operations in Syria, in which it noted that Russian troops were withdrawing from Afrin "to prevent potential provocation and exclude the threat to the life and well-being of Russian military."