Syria
Tuesday 17 July 2018
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Vladimir Putin
President, Russian Federation
“Let me remind you that both Russian and American military acquired useful experience of coordination of their actions, established the operational channels of communication, which permit it to avoid dangerous incidents and unintentional collisions in the air and in (on) the ground.”
Read more...Russian air forces on multiple occasions conducted dangerous operations with the U.S. Navy and the Russian ground paramilitary troops intentionally created “close military encounters” with NATO and U.S. forces -- in Syria at least on one occasion. -
Steven Seagal
Actor, musician, martial artist
“I am sure that President Putin … is trying to create a situation in which the balance of powers is more stable, and a little more logical and predictable” [as quoted in Russian].
Read more...With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea in 2014, along with numerous Russian snap military drills and violations of the airspace of neighboring countries, Putin has made the balance of power less stable and far less predictable. -
Semyon Slepakov
Russian TV Comedy host and singer
“Russia is ready to host the World Cup. The stadiums are open. The cops are polyglots. That is a quick recap of many years of work.We're not going to lose face in front of the planet. It’s not for nothing we terrified [the planet] with a missile. In general, all is well. But there is only one “but”: Our team, frankly, is sh-t.”
Read more...The International Federation of Football Association, the world soccer authority better known as FIFA, ranked Russia’s national team #70 and labeled it a “worst mover.” -
TASS
Russian State News Agency
TASS HEADLINE: Austrian chancellor calls Russia superpower, stresses its role for peace.(Later in the article): Russia plays a big role in Syria and in the east of Ukraine, according to Sebastian Kurz.
Read more...Kurz is right when he says Russia plays a big role in Ukraine and Syria, but not as the peacemaker the TASS portrays. The article is brief, doesn’t mention Kurz’s emphasis on the Minsk agreement, and omits the Austrian government’s continued support of EU sanctions on Russia, following Putin’s Ukraine adventures. -
Russian Defense Ministry, via Sputnik
"Four Russian servicemen have been killed in Syria as a result of shelling by militants, the Russian Defense Ministry said. ‘Several groups of terrorists attacked an artillery battery of the Syrian government forces at night in the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor. Two Russian military advisers, who directed the fire of the Syrian artillery, were killed on the spot. Five more servicemen were injured and were taken to the hospital immediately,’ the ministry said."
Read more...On May 27, Russian media quoted the country’s Defense Ministry as saying two servicemen were killed on the spot and two others died in the hospital from the injuries sustained during shelling in Syria’s Deir Ezzor province. Independent observers claim at least nine Russian troops killed in the attack. -
RT
Russian state-funded news agency
A former British ambassador to Syria told RT the OPCW ‘s claim that chlorine was "likely used" in Saraqeb, Syria, in February is "seriously misleading" because it is based on evidence provided by “jihadists.”
Read more...The “jihadists” referred to in the RT story are actually members of Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets. The claim that they are jihadists is a conspiracy theory promoted by the Syrian and Russian governments, and RT’s source has worked for a pro-Assad government lobby group. -
Vladimir Putin
President of the Russian Federation
I believe that it is my duty and the meaning of my entire life to do everything for Russia, its present and future, to ensure that it is peaceful and prosperous, to preserve and perpetuate our great people, and bring prosperity to every household in Russia. Let me assure you that just as before I will devote my life and my work to serving the people and our Fatherland. For me, this is above everything.
Read more...Putin says his duty is to make Russia peaceful and prosperous. Yet in his most recent term he not only got Russia involved in two wars, Ukraine and Syria, but also living standards and the economy have taken a major hit amid sanctions and depressed oil prices. -
Sputnik News
Russian state news agency
A Dutch lawyer working at the Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence (CCDCOE) in Estonia has noted that the April 14 airstrikes against Syria by the US, UK and France are in violation of international law.
Read more...While Western leaders say air strikes were "justified, legitimate and proportionate," and necessary to alleviate overwhelming human suffering, several experts contend this is not considered a justification under international law for military action against another country. -
RIA Novosti
Russian state news agency
“The House of Representatives has adopted a law banning the U.S. from aiding Syria”
Read more...H.R. 4681, a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives also known as the No Assistance for Assad Act, limits assistance for areas of Syria controlled by the government of Bashar al-Assad Syria or associated forces. The legislation does not apply to “assistance for projects to be administered by local organizations that reflect the aims, needs, and priorities of local communities in Syria; and assistance for projects to meet humanitarian needs, including demining and needs for food, medicine, medical supplies and equipment, education, and clothing.” -
Dmitry Kiselyov
Head of Rossiya Segodnya
"Literal information bombs! This week was a journalist's godsend for our military correspondent in Syria, Evgeny Poddubnyy."
Read more...Russian state TV used stills from a film about Syria and passed them off as real photos from Douma, Syria, where a chemical attack took place. It also claimed an 11-year-old boy who supposedly debunked reports that a chemical attack had taken place was interviewed without any coercion. Investigators found he was interviewed at a military installation in Damascus. -
Sergey Lavrov
Foreign Minister, Russia
“Because during the Cold War there were channels of communication. And there was no obsession with Russophobia, which resembles genocide through sanctions."
Read more...The United Nations defines genocide as the deliberate destruction of a specific group, and lists five types of actions toward a specific group that qualify as genocidal. None of these apply to the financial and travel restrictions the United States imposed on Russian government officials and tycoons. -
Sergei Ryabkov
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
"Everything rested on the absence of UN Secretariat security department approval for a visit by OPCW experts to the site of the events in Douma.”
Read more...The United Nations Secretariat has granted authorization for the OPCW's mission to inspect the site of the alleged chemical attack in Douma.