“The prospect to begin a political process and bring the Syrian population back to peaceful life is being postponed for an indefinite period of time,” Shoigu said in a conference call.
The Russian defense minister added that concerted efforts were needed to eliminate terrorists in the war-torn country.
“To destroy terrorists in Syria, it is necessary to take joint actions instead of putting spokes in the partners’ wheels, because the rebels take advantage of that,” Shoigu said.
Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations such as Daesh and al-Nusra Front. Since the war's beginning it has claimed the lives of thousands of people and displaced millions more. The international community has undertaken steps to end the Syrian conflict and to solve the humanitarian crisis in the Middle Eastern country.
