United States Issues Warning to Russia Over Syria Policy

2/5/20
The United States has warned Russia over its policy in Syria, where U.S. officials say Russian forces are violating the terms of a cease-fire agreement and posing a challenge to U.S. troops in the region. France, Britain, and the United States have called for the U.N. Security Council to meet today about the situation in Idlib province, where Russian-backed Syrian government forces are engaged in a campaign to take back the area—the country’s last rebel stronghold. Russia has filled the vacuum left by the U.S. withdrawal from the area: There are no U.S. troops on the ground in Idlib, in Syria’s northwest. The increasing violence there has raised tensions between Russia and Turkey, which backs some rebel groups.

The Syrian military offensive comes despite several attempts at a cease-fire, including one brokered by Russia and Turkey last month. Turkey fears an influx of refugees as hundreds of thousands of Syrians head for the Turkish border. The warning comes as Russian military contractors have engaged in standoffs with U.S. troops in northeast Syria, increasing tensions and concerns that the encounters could escalate, the Wall Street Journal reports. “These are not daily occurrences, but they have been increasing number, and thus it is troubling,” James Jeffrey, the U.S. special envoy for Syria engagement said Wednesday.

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Rogue Valley said:

United States Issues Warning to Russia Over Syria Policy

Washington seeks to send a message to Moscow amid standoffs between U.S. and Russian soldiers.

You would think russian kontrakniki (Wagner) had learned their lesson in February 2018 when at least 100 were killed by US forces in a 4 hour battle near Deir ez-Zour, Syria.

Slow learners it seems.

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beerftw said:

Slow learners would not matter here, those contractors were poorly equipped with no real state backing, they are a far cry from actual russian military. Wagner group in russia is no different than blackwater for america, they are there to do questionable acts and when things go wrong the state can not be blamed, it is literally plausible deniability. the actual state govt of russia is vastly more capable than wagner by thousands of miles just like the us military is thousand of miles ahead of blackwater, as both groups are there for dirty work, and state govt support is limited to a minimum for things like air support or armor support to ensure when illegal actions occur they can just blame it on xyz contractor going rogue(then hire the same guys under a different name for legal reasons)

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Ringo Stalin said:

Relations between Moscow and Washington reached a low point after the end of the cold war, said the new US Ambassador in Russia John Sullivan.
Weird. Neither friendly sanctions, nor partnership expulsions of diplomats, nor comradely unsubstantiated accusations, help the States improve relations with Russia...

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