DUSHANBE, February 12, 2016, Asia-Plus — Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev raised the specter of an interminable or a world war if powers failed to negotiate an end to the conflict in Syria and warned against any ground operations by U.S. and Arab forces.
Speaking to Germany”s
Handelsblatt
newspaper on February 11, Medvedev said the United States and Russia must exert pressure on all sides in the conflict to secure a ceasefire.
Asked about Saudi Arabia”s offer last week to supply ground troops if a U.S.-led operation were mounted against Islamic State, he said: “This is bad as a ground offensive usually turns the war into a permanent one. Just look at what happened in Afghanistan and many other countries.”
Russia is carrying out bombing sorties around the key city of Aleppo, in support of advances by troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. U.S. and other Western air forces are also involved in air strikes in northern Syria.
According to
Reuters
, capturing Aleppo, Syria”s biggest city before the war but now divided between rebel- and government-held sectors, would represent a major military victory for Assad and a symbolic prize for Russia.
