Lavrov: Syria to Back US Coalition's Operation if Coordinated With Russia

Damascus will not oppose US-led coalition's operations in Syria if it coordinates its actions with the Russian Aerospace Forces, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Last week, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG), supported by Washington started an operation to liberate Daesh-occupied Raqqa from jihadists.

“The Syrian leadership said, and the Americans have been informed of this stance, that if the coalition coordinates its operations [in Syria] with the Russian Aerospace Forces, then Syria would not voice protest. They will consider that they [US-led coalition] are our partners in the fight against terrorism,” Lavrov said during a live linkup on kp.ru.

The US-led coalition of nearly 60 nations has been conducting airstrikes against Daesh first in Iraq and later in Syria since 2014 — albeit without the approval of the Syrian government or the UN Security Council.

Russia has conducted an aerial campaign in Syria since September 2015 after the official request by the country's president, Bashar Assad. On March 14, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to withdraw most of the country's military aviation after accomplishing its objective in the fight against terrorism.