The prolonged crisis in Syria has contributed to a global refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people flocking to Europe in a bid to secure asylum.
"The issue of refugees, which we warned about two years ago… At the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] Parliamentary Assembly [PA] I said that this policy of thoughtless airstrikes on Syria to oust [President Bashar] Assad… have spawned a powerful movement supporting a terrorist organization," Kovalyov, who is representing Russia at the OSCE PA session in Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar, said.
According to Kovalyov, weapons have been supplied to the militants, who have "spread their wings" and felt supported by the West.
"And obviously, they have activated their actions," Kovalyov added.
