MOSCOW (Sputnik) — There is a chance to deal irreparable damage to terrorists in Syria as Palmyra's liberation changed the balance of power, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
"Of course, the Americans have a hard time arguing that the liberation of Palmyra was a very important event and, perhaps, largely changed the balance of power in the Syrian conflict in general," Ryabkov told RIA Novosti.
"The real situation on the ground in Syria shows that now there is a chance to deal a devastating blow to terrorist structures, Daesh first and foremost, but also to the Nusra Front and other groups operating there," he said.
"I note with regret that we see no particular enthusiasm and keen approach to a possible engagement in tackling issues related to humanitarian demining [of Palmyra]… on the part of Washington," the diplomat told RIA Novosti adding that a Russian Defense Ministry special unit has already been directly involved in the operation.
The Syrian army and militias supported by Russian Aerospace Forces gained full control of Palmyra, seized by Daesh militants in May 2015, last week.
Russia, US Will Never Share Common Stance on Assad's Future
Moscow and Washington will never reach common ground regarding the future of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Sergei Ryabkov said.
"We will never find common ground with our colleagues from Washington and from some other capitals who think that we should work under the motto 'Assad must resign,'" he told RIA Novosti.
"We will never find common ground on the matter not only because it contradicts our entire foreign policy doctrine, under which regime change, 'color revolutions' and social engineering from the outside are unacceptable, but also simply because such a condition leaves no future for any political process," the deputy foreign minister said.
Moscow believes that its Western partners are not fully implementing the requirements enshrined in the UN Security Council resolution on Syria, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
“Like in many cases before Palmyra [liberation] we feel that Washington’s approach depends upon certain priorities and preferences,” Ryabkov said adding that in particular the United States continues to reject Damascus “as a legitimate partner for these or those actions or decisions.”
“That is why, unfortunately, our Western colleagues, and not only Western, are so obsessed with Bashar Assad and the demonization of the Syrian government that … they fail to comply with the requirements of corresponding UNSC resolutions to the full extent,” the Russian diplomat elaborated.
However, despite some differences, Moscow and Washington continue working daily on "specifying and expanding" the UN lists of terrorists, Ryabkov said.
Kurds Must Join Next Round of Intra-Syrian Talks
Moscow expects that the participants of the intra-Syrian talks will be able to make progress on the settlement at the next round.
"We expect the next step to be taken, which envisages talks among the participants, after working on [UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan] de Mistura's document and summing up what they heard during the previous round, formulating what is acceptable in his proposals and what requires adjusting and in what way. Thus, the next step will be taken and the participants of the negotiations will be able to note progress," Ryabkov told RIA Novosti.
“The negotiating process is more or less moving along, despite certain difficulties and despite absence of Kurds. This, by the way, is an extremely serious issue and the next round must definitely take place with full-fledged involvement of Kurdish representatives from Syria.”
Otherwise, the diplomat added, “we would contradict ourselves by stating that the future of Syria, as a unified, secular, territorially intact, independent [state] must be decided by the citizens of this country.”
Kurds representatives received no invitation to the talks.
