RUSSIAN PREPARES TO SEND WARSHIPS TO SYRIA

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PatDollard.com:

 

 

 

FT: Russia has announced it is readying two warships to sail to Syria to protect Russian citizens, in a sign that it is taking precautions against a worsening of the security situation there.

 

A spokesman for Russia’s Black Sea fleet, Vyacheslav Trukhachev, told Russia’s Interfax news agency the mission would be undertaken “in case of necessity”. His comments appeared designed to clarify speculation that warships had already set sail for Syria. Interfax had earlier quoted an anonymous official as saying that was the case on Monday morning. One of the warships, said Mr Trukhachev, carries a 150-strong contingent of marines, in addition to 25 tanks, but he did not give details of the other ship. He made clear that the purpose of the mission would be only to evacuate Russian personnel and property from Syria.

 

Russia’s precautions came as Barack Obama, the US president, and Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, called for an end to violence in Syria and moves towards “political transition to a democratic, pluralistic political system” after talks on Monday at the G20 summit in Mexico.

 

After days of diplomatic sniping between Washington and Moscow, the two sides were able to issue a joint statement on Syria after talks on the first day of the summit at Los Cabos.