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‘US not after regime change in Syria, but Assad must go’ – Kerry to Russian TV
RT,
19
December, 2015
The
US is not seeking regime change in Syria, US Secretary of State John
Kerry told Russian media on a Moscow trip. However, calling the
Syrian president “a magnet for terrorists,” Kerry said Bashar
Assad cannot stay in the country’s “long-term future.”
Kerry
was interviewed by Rossiya 24 channel during his trip to the Russian
capital on Saturday between meetings with his counterpart, Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Russian President, Vladimir
Putin.
“I am here to talk with President Putin about Syria and our need to join together to stabilize Syria; try to make peace in a way that keeps it as a whole country, and also – most importantly – also destroy Daesh (Islamic State, formerly ISIS/ISIL). Daesh is a terrorist organization, a threat to all of us. We have a common interest and we need to work together,” he stressed.
“I am here to talk with President Putin about Syria and our need to join together to stabilize Syria; try to make peace in a way that keeps it as a whole country, and also – most importantly – also destroy Daesh (Islamic State, formerly ISIS/ISIL). Daesh is a terrorist organization, a threat to all of us. We have a common interest and we need to work together,” he stressed.
Russian
President Vladimir Putin (R) welcomes U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia December 15,
2015 © Sergey Karpukhin / Reuters
According
to the Secretary of State, it was very important for the Russian
people to understand the American approach to the Syrian
crisis.
“We are not trying to do a regime change. We are not engaged in a color revolution. We’re not engaged in trying to interfere in another country … We’re trying to make peace,” he explained.
However, Kerry reiterated Washington’s stance that Assad must leave his position for peace in Syria to be achieved.
“We are not trying to do a regime change. We are not engaged in a color revolution. We’re not engaged in trying to interfere in another country … We’re trying to make peace,” he explained.
However, Kerry reiterated Washington’s stance that Assad must leave his position for peace in Syria to be achieved.
RT
DETAILS of UNSC resolution on #Syria: Ceasefire excl.#ISIS; 6mo transition; election in 18mo http://on.rt.com/6zwi
“Russia
can’t stop the war with Assad there because Assad attracts the
foreign fighters. Assad is a magnet for terrorists, because they’re
coming to fight Assad,” he
said.
“So
if you want to stop the war in Syria, and we do, if you want to fight
Daesh and stop the growth of terrorism, you have to deal with the
problem of Assad. Now, that doesn’t mean we want to change every
aspect of the government; we don’t,” the
diplomat added.
Assad: With terrorist support cut, Syrian war would be over in year http://on.rt.com/6zxm
The
US Secretary of State also said he did not rule out the possibility
of Syrian government forces loyal to Assad being viewed by Washington
as a viable part of the operation against IS terrorists.
“Absolutely,” he
said when addressed on the issue, “providing
there is a legitimate transitional process, which the Geneva
communique calls for, with a government of transition, where the
opposition is part of the government and the issue of Assad will be
resolved through that process and people have confidence in that.”
Under
those circumstances, it is possible to envision the army of Syria,
together with the opposition, turning against Daesh, providing Assad
is not the long-term future of Syria,” Kerry added.
‘Not assuring political transition in Libya was a mistake’
As
for the ongoing chaos in Libya since the NATO air campaign helped the
rebels oust Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Kerry insisted that removing the
dictator was a right thing to do.
However, he added that he agreed with President Obama that “not doing enough afterwards to make sure that the transition and the building of a legitimate government took place – that was a mistake” by the US and its allies.
However, he added that he agreed with President Obama that “not doing enough afterwards to make sure that the transition and the building of a legitimate government took place – that was a mistake” by the US and its allies.
#ISIS stole sarin gas from Libya stores & already used it, Gaddafi’s cousin tells RT http://on.rt.com/6zxd
According
to the Secretary of State, the Libyan majority on both sides is
currently “coming
together to form their own government, and we are going to support
that government in hopes of calming down Libya and empowering all of
us to go after the terrorists.”
‘No details of Russian Su-24 downing by Turkey’
Kerry
declined to answer a question on whether Washington informed Ankara
about the movements of Russian aviation in Syria before the downing
of a Su-24 warplane by Turkish Air Force on November 24.
“Russia
and the US have de-conflicted, and we have de-conflicted with respect
to Syrian airspace and flights we make into the eastern part of Syria
to fight Daesh. Turkish airspace is controlled by Turkey,” he
said.
While
Ankara insists the bomber violated Turkish airspace, albeit for a
mere 17 seconds, Moscow, Damascus and the surviving Russian pilot
have been staunchly denying that the jet overshot into Turkey at any
moment of the mission.
URGENT: Flight recorder of #Su24 bomber shot by Turkey opened in front of journos in Moscow https://www.rt.com/on-air/russian-mod-su24-blackbox/ …
According
to Kerry, the American side does not know the details of what
occurred between the Russian and Turkish planes.
READ MORE: NATO agrees to boost Turkey’s air defense weeks after downing of Russian jet
“We
have some indications of it from our radar, we have some sense of
what happened, but I think there’s a formal process going on and
exchange of information, and I don’t want to comment on the
conclusions of that without the information myself,” he
stressed.
‘Washington to keep pushing Kiev to fulfill Minsk peace deal’
Kerry
said that the US and Russia need to “fix
the problem of Ukraine,” adding
that Washington is “not
looking for a confrontation” over
the issues.
“When I was with President Putin in New York with President Obama, President Obama looked at President Putin and said directly – he said: ‘Vladimir, let’s finish this. Let’s stop this conflict that’s going on about Ukraine. Help us get this settled by implementing Minsk,” he remembered.
“When I was with President Putin in New York with President Obama, President Obama looked at President Putin and said directly – he said: ‘Vladimir, let’s finish this. Let’s stop this conflict that’s going on about Ukraine. Help us get this settled by implementing Minsk,” he remembered.
The
American officials have been “working
very closely with [Ukrainian] President [Petro] Poroshenko, with the
[Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna] Rada, with various members of
civil society in an effort to push the government in Kiev to make
sure it deals with the problems of Donbass,” the
Secretary of State said.
“We will continue to push the government in Kiev for certain, and they have obligations and they need to live up to their obligations,” he dded.
“We will continue to push the government in Kiev for certain, and they have obligations and they need to live up to their obligations,” he dded.
Donbass 360 drone footage: The ravaged heart of Europe http://on.rt.com/6zv2
Kerry
urged Moscow to “to
exert its considerable influence over the separatists and make sure
that they are living up to the agreements of Minsk.”
“So what’s important now is to try to quickly find a meeting of the minds on precisely what steps can be taken in order to end this issue,” he stressed.
“So what’s important now is to try to quickly find a meeting of the minds on precisely what steps can be taken in order to end this issue,” he stressed.
READ MORE: NATO chief misinterpreted Putin’s words on military presence in Ukraine – Kremlin
The
Minsk peace deal was signed between Ukrainian officials and rebel
leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s
Republics after a year of fighting that took over 7,000 lives.
The agreement, which envisaged a ceasefire, prisoner exchanges and the withdrawal of heavy weaponry, led to a drastic decrease in violence in the area, but has not been fully implemented by either side.
The agreement, which envisaged a ceasefire, prisoner exchanges and the withdrawal of heavy weaponry, led to a drastic decrease in violence in the area, but has not been fully implemented by either side.
‘US wants to see strong Russia involved in resolving global conflicts’
Kerry
was also asked to comment on President Obama’s speech at the UN
General Assembly in September, in which he referred to Russia,
Islamic State and the Ebola virus as the main US security
threats.
“
Well, the President wasn’t lumping them together in that way. He was talking about different challenges that we face, and at the time, the question of Ukraine was a major challenge. But we’ve traveled considerable distance since then,” he said.
“
Well, the President wasn’t lumping them together in that way. He was talking about different challenges that we face, and at the time, the question of Ukraine was a major challenge. But we’ve traveled considerable distance since then,” he said.
We easily work with Assad, US & others as we don’t change our position – Putin in new docu http://on.rt.com/6zym
According
to the Secretary of State, his second visit to Russia in just a year
is “a
reflection of the fact that despite differences, Russia and the US
have been able to and want to work very effectively together.”
He called the Iranian nuclear deal, the destruction of chemical weapons in Syria and the fresh agreement on tackling climate change as examples of successful cooperation between Washington and Moscow.
He called the Iranian nuclear deal, the destruction of chemical weapons in Syria and the fresh agreement on tackling climate change as examples of successful cooperation between Washington and Moscow.
READ MORE: ‘We see Syria fundamentally very similarly’ – Kerry after talks with Putin, Lavrov
“We
would like to see a normal relationship with Russia and see a strong
and powerful Russia contributing to the resolution of disputes on a
global basis, because we have enough challenges.” Kerry
said.
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