ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) — The West blames Moscow and Damascus over alleged bombings of civilian population and armed opposition groups in Syria. Russia and the Syrian government dismiss the accusations, insisting that they only strike terrorist positions, while blaming the United States of their inability to differentiate between the so-called moderate opposition and terrorists.
"I believe that these are idle threats rather than real sanctions…. I hope that everyone will control temper, and nothing will follow these idle threats. I hope that the sanctions will not follow," Kudrin told reporters at a business forum in Russia's St. Petersburg.
UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State John Kerry threatened Russia and Syria with more sanctions in mid-October after fighting escalated in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.
