Russia Foreign Minister Deciphers The Latest Syrian War In An Interview

Ron Chapman

Dec 08, 2024

Transcript

0:00

those dramatic developments that seem to

0:02

be reshaping the political map of Syria

0:05

I'd like your reaction to things that

0:07

have happened in the last 10 days the

0:09

reaction has oh sorry the reaction has

0:11

been public repeatedly stated it's uh

0:17

inadmissible to allow the terrorist

0:19

group to take control of the lens in

0:23

violation of agreements which exist

0:26

starting with the UN Security Council

0:28

resolution 2254 War which strongly

0:32

reiterated sovereignty territorial

0:34

integrity and unity of the Syrian Arab

0:36

Republic which condemned any attempts by

0:40

terrorists to disturb the life of

0:43

syrians and which called for direct

0:46

dialogue between the government and the

0:48

opposition and the opposition group were

0:50

listed in that resolution in 2000 if we

0:53

speak

0:56

about rasham specifically in 200 18 and

1:01

2020 in the framework of fana format uh

1:05

two agreements were

1:08

signed

1:10

clearly solidifying the common resolve

1:14

not to

1:15

allow rasham to rule in idlib to be

1:19

thrown out of idli and these agreements

1:22

have not been uh implemented now they

1:24

are grossly violated I watched your

1:26

channel uh this morning and the coverage

1:29

is very specific I would say uh the uh

1:34

Anchor Man was saying that uh opposition

1:38

groups were taking new and New Towns

1:42

opposition groups uh this is the the way

1:47

Al jazer

1:49

calls which is I would say not very

1:53

journalistically clean well there are

1:55

more than one groups and and clearly

1:58

haam are an opposition group in

2:00

opposition to the government in Damascus

2:02

it seems a pretty clear pretty clear

2:05

description of what they do you've been

2:07

having meetings one second one second I

2:10

understand that you defend your your

2:12

bosses who called the shorts in Al jazer

2:16

but could an honest journalism would

2:19

provide for statement

2:21

[Applause]

2:23

like listed as a terrorist group by the

2:26

United Nations security Council and the

2:28

United States by the way and opposition

2:32

groups who are not listed and I have

2:34

been reporting on this for the last

2:36

couple of weeks and we are saying that

2:37

very repeatedly but let me get back to

2:39

what has been going on in terms of the

2:41

diplomacy I understand that You' have

2:43

had a meeting with your Turkish and

2:46

Iranian colleagues here in Doha have you

2:49

reached any agreements yeah we strongly

2:53

reiterated uh territorial Integrity

2:55

sovereignty and unity of the Syrian Arab

2:58

Republic we called for iMed immediate

3:01

end of hostile

3:04

activities we

3:07

uh

3:09

stated all of us that we want the

3:14

resolution

3:15

2254 to be fully implemented and for

3:18

this purpose called

3:21

for the dialogue between the government

3:24

and legitimate opposition as provided in

3:26

that resolution the main thing is not is

3:29

not to say something new the main thing

3:32

is Implement everything to which you

3:34

sign up but that resolution

3:37

2254 which you it was a security Council

3:40

resolution at foreign minister level I

3:42

remember in 2015 and you were there in

3:44

Russia's seat that talks about a new

3:47

Constitution and free and fair elections

3:50

and yet the whole process has got bogged

3:53

down and has gone absolutely nowhere

3:56

well it's still a bit less time passed

3:59

after the adoption of this resolution

4:01

since the resolutions promising

4:03

Palestinian state were adopted so

4:06

everything is relative if you can

4:09

understand nobody is perfect as the old

4:11

American movie says and everything is

4:13

relative have you spoken this doesn't

4:16

mean that we should not keep trying have

4:18

you spoken to your Syrian counterpart in

4:20

recent hours or any other senior Syrian

4:23

official and how worried are they how

4:26

what how worried are they about the

4:28

situation they've lost a lot of

4:30

territory well we are not in the

4:32

business of checking who is worried and

4:34

to what extent we're in the business to

4:37

try to help as diplomatic means to stop

4:41

Bloodshed and to make Justice Prevail in

4:44

this particular case Justice is

4:46

resolution

4:48

2254 the other authors of this

4:51

resolution including the United States

4:54

confirm to us that they continue

4:58

supporting this this process as

5:01

described in that resolution and we hope

5:03

that these promises and uh assurances

5:06

would materialize soon how much of a

5:09

blow is it to Russia that so much

5:11

territory has been lost in such a short

5:14

period of time because Russia and the

5:16

Soviet Union before it has been such a

5:18

big backer of

5:21

Syria how much of a blow is it and will

5:23

you intervene further militarily not

5:25

just

5:26

diplomatically uh our country uh has

5:29

been

5:30

uh a very big backer not only of Syria

5:33

but also of Iraq of Libya of Lebanon and

5:39

uh it is not it is not our fault that

5:42

all the resolutions which were adopted

5:46

on the Middle East

5:47

issues uh some of them were not adopted

5:50

for example Iraq was bombed out of the

5:53

state hood without any discussion on the

5:55

security Council it is not our fault

5:58

that the biggest trend of the modern

6:02

world namely the fight against those who

6:05

want to keep

6:07

hemony and on the other hand those who

6:10

would like to live in a free world world

6:14

where the United Nations demand to

6:17

respect Sovereign equality of states is

6:20

really implemented be it bricks be it

6:22

shanhai cooperation be Gulf cooperation

6:24

Council asan and many others so the

6:28

fight of these two worlds one uh phasing

6:32

out and another one emerging is not

6:36

going without clashes and the conflicts

6:39

which were Adventures aggressive

6:41

Adventures which were launched by the US

6:43

and its allies in Iraq Libya

6:47

uh Palestine because the the behavior of

6:52

the United States on what is going on in

6:54

Palestine is absolutely unacceptable

6:56

invading Syria all this is the

7:00

repetition of the old uh very old Habit

7:04

to create some Havoc uh some mess and

7:09

then to fish in the Muddy Waters and the

7:12

Middle East and Europe uh is not enough

7:16

already the NATO under the United States

7:19

command pronounced last year at the

7:21

summit that the security in Euro

7:23

Atlantic is indivisible from the

7:26

security in Indo Pacific region so they

7:29

already eye the entire Eurasian

7:32

continent including South China Sea

7:35

straight of Taiwan uh the Korean

7:39

Peninsula uh they are creating NATO like

7:43

military blocks NATO infrastructure is

7:46

being promoted to the region this is a

7:51

reflection of attempts not to allow the

7:54

hemony to phase out but this is a fight

7:58

against history so yes we are very much

8:01

sorry for the Syrian people who became

8:05

who became a subject of another

8:07

geopolitical experiment we are

8:11

absolutely uh

8:14

convinced of

8:16

inadmissibility to use terrorists like

8:20

Asam to achieve geopolitical purposes as

8:23

that is being done now uh with the

8:26

organization of this offensive from the

8:30

uh the escalation area uh but you know

8:34

what we do in the world maybe the

8:38

mentality is different the Americans for

8:40

them I know them very well for them what

8:42

is important how they are perceived and

8:46

they always want to be perceived number

8:48

one when they tell something everybody

8:51

must say yes sir uh whatever Uncle Sam

8:55

decides in our case it's not about being

8:59

uh

9:00

concerned with uh with the impression we

9:03

make on the people we do things in which

9:06

we believe and if we could uh help since

9:11

2015 could help to keep the Syrian State

9:15

U aart if we could organize the process

9:19

with Iranian and turkey colleagues which

9:23

is called Asana a process and we met

9:25

today as you as you mentioned this in

9:27

itself was a very helpful process uh

9:31

nothing goes smoothly in World diplomacy

9:35

uh but the events which were witnessing

9:38

today they're clearly geared to

9:41

undermine everything we have been doing

9:43

during those years and we are sorry not

9:46

for not for the image which people see

9:51

in the person of the Russian Federation

9:53

or me personally but we are very

9:55

concerned with the fate of the Syrian

9:57

people we don't want them to follow the

10:00

fate of Iraqis of libyans and of other

10:03

nations uh who were disturbed by the

10:07

people Desiring to keep their

10:10

domination the Russian Embassy in

10:12

Damascus is now urging Russian Nationals

10:15

to leave Syria does that mean that you

10:18

believe that Assad may not be able to

10:21

cling on to power and if that is the

10:24

case are you going to try and save him

10:27

this time well the the Western embassies

10:31

in Kev some time ago suggested for the

10:34

Nationals to leave the uh embassies in

10:38

uh South Korea are doing the same it's a

10:42

diplomatic job I I understand that you

10:44

need some sensation in in your interview

10:48

uh it's diplomatic job to you have as

10:52

journalist to care about facts I have

10:55

among other things to care about my

10:58

compatriots but the the sensation surely

11:00

is the fact that so much of the

11:03

territory of Syria has been lost in such

11:06

a short period of time do you think

11:08

Assad can hold on and is what is Russia

11:11

going to do militarily militarily Russia

11:15

helps the Syrian Army uh who the Air

11:18

Force which is based uh at Kim and we uh

11:23

H the Syrian Army to counter the attacks

11:25

of

11:26

terrorists what is is the forecast I

11:31

cannot guess we are not in the business

11:33

of guessing we agreed today with Iran

11:36

and

11:37

turkey to issue a strong call which I

11:40

described and we would be doing uh some

11:44

specific steps to make sure that this

11:47

call is heed you say that Russia has

11:50

been helping the Syrian military it

11:52

clearly has are you not frustrated then

11:55

that it seems in many cases the Syrian

11:58

military just ran away it's a bit like

12:01

when the Taliban took over Afghanistan

12:04

in 2021 is it not well the Americans

12:07

have been leaving Afghanistan even more

12:10

shely shaely I think uh you know if if

12:15

you want me to uh try to give my

12:19

assessment of who behaves how and how

12:22

this is perceived

12:24

outside uh then this is this is your

12:26

your your right you are into viewing me

12:29

and uh I think I gave my advice it seems

12:33

it seems however that you are doing

12:35

everything to avoid coming to Ukraine I

12:39

will come to Ukraine but I definitely

12:41

want to talk about the issues in the

12:43

Middle East first um and I want to come

12:46

back to hayat Sham which as you say was

12:49

formed from the al-nusra front remains

12:51

on the un uh Blacklist but their leader

12:55

galani is now projecting a different toe

12:59

he's sending a message to alawites that

13:01

they they are welcome do you think that

13:04

you should at least someone should be

13:06

talking to him to see if he's telling

13:07

the truth well

13:10

the first of all uh he is projecting

13:13

this position as far as I understand uh

13:16

on

13:17

CNN and we checked with the Americans

13:20

whether he's still on the US terrorist

13:23

list and they said yes he is in addition

13:26

to the security Council terrorist list

13:29

so giving him the audience of CNN is uh

13:34

already something is already something

13:37

as for the uh promises he is

13:41

spreading I

13:44

never you know challenge the English

13:48

proverb the proof of the P pudding is in

13:50

the eating but there are other cases and

13:52

there's one obvious one the Taliban were

13:55

on a Black List they were Allied to

13:58

Al-Qaeda and now in Afghanistan Russia

14:01

deals with the Taliban things change we

14:06

never withdrew our Embassy from Kabul

14:10

the embassy was staying there throughout

14:13

the American and Coalition

14:15

occupation uh throughout uh their uh

14:19

shameful departure uh and we never we

14:22

never withdrew the

14:24

embassy uh the Taliban by the way they

14:27

are not as an organization on the UN

14:29

terrorist list several leaders of the

14:32

Taliban now on the personal terrorist

14:34

list but I understand what what you mean

14:37

you you are B basically saying that life

14:40

is more uh interesting and more

14:44

complicated than resolutions and uh

14:47

statements and claims and Promises uh

14:50

we'll see how it works if if the

14:53

opposition which was uh mentioned in the

14:58

resolution

14:59

2254 is a responsible opposition if they

15:02

care about their country then they would

15:05

not they would not allow uh for this uh

15:09

operation to continue they participate

15:12

in

15:14

uh uh hostilities as well and today's

15:17

call from Iran uh turkey and Russia uh

15:22

should be should be hurt by by everybody

15:24

who is on the ground in Syria and on the

15:26

ground in Syria right now the focus is

15:29

is the battle for homes if homs is taken

15:32

then the territory controlled by Assad

15:35

will be divided in two and on one side

15:38

of that will be your big Naval Base that

15:40

you were given for 49 years Sovereign

15:42

Naval base and also your large air base

15:46

in Latakia is Russia worried about those

15:49

apparently some analysts say there' have

15:50

been satellite images of Russian vessels

15:53

already leaving your Tartus Naval

15:55

Base well there is a naval exercise in

15:59

the Mediterranean maybe your satellite

16:02

images took this for something different

16:05

but again what once again uh if you if

16:08

you want me to say yes we are we have we

16:12

we lost in Syria we are so

16:16

desperate if if this is what you need

16:18

let's continue but my point is I'm not

16:21

in the business of guessing what is

16:23

going to happen we are trying to do

16:26

everything not to allow terrorists to

16:29

Prevail even if they say that they are

16:31

no longer

16:33

terrorists what about the role of Tura

16:35

in this you met with a Turkish foreign

16:37

minister here in Doha do you think they

16:40

are controlling the situation or just

16:43

want to keep on top of the

16:45

situation uh they are very

16:49

influential actor in Syria and I think

16:53

you know this they are concerned with

16:56

the security of their border with

16:59

Syria uh we discussed it in aana format

17:03

uh and in the context of aana plus Syria

17:07

discussions on normalizing relations

17:09

between turkey and

17:11

Damascus uh and there is a series of

17:15

ideas which we want to uh put into

17:18

practice to

17:20

keep Syria territorially integral and

17:24

United while ensuring security of the

17:28

Border uh which is uh porous has been

17:32

porous for terrorist attacks on the

17:35

territory uh of of turkey Adan agreement

17:39

of 1986 I think uh is an example how

17:42

this can be can be addressed and we I I

17:46

have no slightest doubt that the

17:48

relations between Syria and turkey must

17:51

be normalized and we will be doing

17:54

anything to be helpful to finish on on

17:58

Syria Please Mr foreign minister you

18:00

keep mentioning resolution

18:02

2254 if ever it got to the stage of the

18:06

ultimate part of that resolution free

18:09

and fair elections hand on heart you

18:12

cannot believe can you that the Assad

18:15

family the Assad Dynasty that's run this

18:18

country for 54 years has run it

18:20

throughout this war when half a million

18:23

people have died that they would be

18:25

elected in free and fair elections do

18:27

you

18:30

[Applause]

18:32

to get to get to this point you said

18:34

yourself that this is crowning growning

18:37

paragraph of the

18:38

resolution uh before that you need to

18:41

implement the what comes before it

18:45

including sovereignty and territorial

18:47

Integrity to be respected the Americans

18:51

Invasion and occupation of the east of

18:54

Syria uh supporting Kurdish separatists

18:58

including on the lands which

19:00

historically belong to Arab tribes

19:03

exploiting oil and food resources

19:07

selling them in the world market and

19:09

financing the qu state they're building

19:11

there do you think it is not an

19:14

inhibition for a free and fair elections

19:16

throughout

19:17

Syria let's move to Gaza over 45,000

19:22

people have been killed since October

19:24

the 7th last year and as you know back

19:26

in June the 10th of June 14 members of

19:29

the security Council voted for a

19:30

ceasefire the us abstained there should

19:33

now be a ceasefire is there any valid

19:35

reason in Russia's view almost 6 months

19:37

later why there is no ceasefire in place

19:40

now because uh this was uh a resolution

19:44

of the quality which we could not

19:46

support we did not V to it only because

19:50

all our Arab friends including

19:52

Palestinians uh did not want us to they

19:55

wanted to give it a try it mentioned a

19:59

Biden plan and the Americans were

20:03

persuading US during the meeting of the

20:05

security Council that this Biden's plan

20:07

is supported by

20:09

Netanyahu we asked to circulate the

20:12

Biden's plan they said no no no no no

20:15

it's not necessary trust us trust me

20:17

like schwarzen used to say uh and uh so

20:23

we

20:23

abstained and it turned out that the

20:26

plan does not exist that Israel is are

20:28

not committed by anything so this plan

20:33

turned out to be one of the rules on

20:36

which the world order must be based

20:39

rules-based World Order nothing specific

20:42

so with

20:44

resolution intended not to be

20:46

implemented how can we expect that it

20:49

would Israel is now killed no

20:56

applause Israel has now killed many of

20:58

hamas's commanders do you think it has

21:01

any real reason to continue fighting or

21:04

is it just causing Carnage death and

21:06

destruction deliberately of Palestinians

21:09

well we we strongly condemned the

21:11

terrorist attack uh on the 7th of

21:14

October last year but at the same time

21:18

we strongly condemn the way Israel

21:22

reacted basically by starting a

21:25

collective punishment of the

21:27

Palestinians

21:28

I discussed with some Israeli colleagues

21:31

uh this issue and uh well not even in

21:35

the I think publicly either the minister

21:38

of defense or uh some other official

21:42

from the cabinet uh when asked why why

21:45

you don't you take measures uh you know

21:48

so that you prevent the damage to

21:51

civilians uh peaceful citizens he said

21:54

there are no peaceful citizens there in

21:56

Gaza as of the age of three they are all

22:00

terrorists and uh with this philosophy

22:03

and when when uh Antonio gues condemned

22:07

the terrorist attack and then said add

22:09

it but it did not happen in the vacuum

22:12

you remember what Israel reaction was

22:16

the former Ambassador demanded that gues

22:20

resigns eventually he was declared

22:22

person

22:23

nrata unbelievable and I don't think I

22:27

don't think Israel is a

22:29

doing good uh for their own interests uh

22:33

because this notion that they are

22:35

terrorists when they reach uh the age of

22:38

three years well this is of course the

22:40

figure of speech uh but for almost 80

22:46

years uh generation after generation is

22:52

growing in the situation of occupation

22:55

and the situation of Blade and of course

22:58

the par s and the teachers at school

23:01

they explain the history of the

23:03

Palestinian people and what happened in

23:06

1948 so unless Palestinian state is is

23:09

is uh

23:11

created uh which was by the way a

23:13

precondition for the creation of Israeli

23:15

State unless Palestinian state is is

23:18

created uh extremism would be breeding

23:23

and breeding and breeding uh in the

23:25

region there is no doubt and uh just to

23:29

say that we will exterminate all Hamas

23:33

members don't I don't think it's it's a

23:35

serious uh pledge

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