Russian president claims both Syria and Iran independent states and Russia not responsible for Iran’s withdrawal from Syria; Trump Administration may place sanctions on Russia and Iranian companies involved in post-war reconstruction in Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Iran’s withdrawal from Syria is not Russia’s responsibility while announcing Russia will soon deploy hypersonic weapons.
Speaking at a foreign policy forum in Sochi Thursday, Putin claimed that it is up to Syria and Iran, both “independent countries”, to decide whether Iran withdrawal from Syria. He claimed while Russia helped negotiate Iran’s withdrawal from southern Syria, that “Syria and Iran are both independent countries. They need to build their relationship on their own.”
Putin also announced that Russia would deploy its latest hypersonic weapon, the “Avangard”, in the coming months, claiming, however, that Russia would not initiate any strikes and would only retaliate if attacked. He stated “The aggressor should know that retaliation is inevitable, and he will be destroyed… We [Russia] would be victims of an aggression and would get to heaven as martyrs…”
On Russia’s advanced capabilities with its hypersonic weapons, he stated “We have run ahead of the competition. No one has precision hypersonic weapons and others are planning to start testing them within the one-and-a-half to two years. We already have them on duty.”
Reports surfaced that the Trump Administration may place sanctions on both Russian and Iranian companies involved in reconstruction in Syria following its civil war in efforts to curb Iran’s influence and efforts in Syria.
The Unites States on Tuesday passed additional sanctions on two Iranian banks as well some companies, including a tractor and a steel company supporting the Basij, a subordinate of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin confirmed the sanctions were placed due on networks providing “financial infrastructure to the Basij’s efforts to recruit, train, and indoctrinate child soldiers who are coerced into combat under the IRGC’s direction.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zari denounced the most recent wave of sanctions and claimed the United States has an “addiction to sanctions” and that sanctions passed are a violation of international law and an “utter disregard for rule of law and human rights of an entire people.”
A spokesman for Putin claimed on Thursday that US-Russian relations would suffer a “deterrent” during the upcoming US midterm elections. He claimed “To sacrifice Russia and Russian-US relations on an altar of the internal politics is a US national entertainment. It is likely to happen now… There is no doubt about this.”
Putin Hails Sunset of U.S. Global Domination Due To Mounting 'Mistakes'
Russian President Vladimir Putin gloated Thursday about what he sees as the end of the United States’ world dominance due to growing “mistakes.”
Putin also claimed America holds “some responsibility” for the disappearance of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi because the Saudi journalist was living in the U.S., he said his in annual foreign policy speech, according to the Financial Times. He did not elaborate. Khashoggi has not been seen since he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. Turkish officials say he was murdered and dismembered by orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“In this regard, the U.S. has a certain responsibility. If someone knows what happens and there was a murder, I hope some evidence is provided. And dependent on that, we will make some decisions,” Putin added in his remarks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. He said there was currently no reason to “harm our relations with Saudi Arabia.”
As for the U.S., he said that “empires often think they can make some little mistakes ... because they’re so powerful. But when the number of these mistakes keeps growing, it reaches a level they cannot sustain.”
He added: “A country can get the sense from impunity that you can do anything. This is the result of the monopoly from a unipolar world ... . Luckily this monopoly is disappearing. It’s almost done.”
Putin also boasted that Russia’s “hypersonic” weapon system will be the best in the world within months. Such a system would allow missile speeds of at least five times the speed of sound, or about one mile per second, CNBC reported. The U.S. is currently incapable of defending itself against such a system, CNBC said.
Putin said Russia’s nuclear weapons would be used only to retaliate against an enemy strike. “We have no concept of a preemptive strike,” Putin said in response to a question, Agence France-Presse reported. “The aggressor will have to understand that retaliation is inevitable, that it will be destroyed and that we, as victims of aggression, as martyrs, will go to heaven.”
Putin shrugged off deteriorating relationships with the West, saying Russia is forging stronger friendships with Asia and the Mideast. Yet he also said President Donald Trump is continuing to work to improve ties with Russia.
“It’s better to talk, to have a conversation, than to be like cats and dogs that keep fighting each other,” Putin said, according to the Financial Times.
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