Russian Peacekeeping Mission to Syria Premature Until Terrorists Defeated - MP

The deployment of a Russian peacekeeping mission to Syria would have to wait until terrorists are defeated in the war-torn country, Russian upper house of parliament's defense committee chair Viktor Ozerov said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The deployment of any peacekeeping force has to be backed by the United Nations, regional organizations or bilateral agreements, he stressed, adding that Russia's current counter-terrorist operation in Syria is being conducted on the basis of international law at the request of Syrian authorities.

"I consider any conversation about peacekeeping to be premature until terrorist forces are destroyed in Syria," Senator Ozerov said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

The defense committee head noted that a peacekeeping mission is necessary in case of a standoff between two sides.

"I am sure that after the counter-terrorist operation in Syria ends, there will be no other opposing sides, as was in the case of Abkhazia and Georgia or Georgia and South Ossetia, where they had to be separated and a peaceful corridor had to be established. I hope that the Syrian people will have enough of the war against terrorists by itself," he said.