PRESS RELEASE
Putin, in Rossiya-TV Interview, Discusses Planning and Goals of Syria Campaign
Oct. 11, 2015 (EIRNS)—Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a Sunday interview with Rossiya 1 TV, that Russia has no intention of launching a ground offensive in Syria ("whatever happens, we’re not going to do this"), and that Russia’s objective is
"stabilizing the legitimate authority in this country and creating conditions to look for political compromise."
Putin also emphasized that the Syrian airstrikes were preceded by detailed satellite and aerial surveillance;
"therefore, whatever happens in the air and on the ground is not a spontaneous action, but the realization of pre-scheduled plans."
Furthermore, Putin added,
"we advised our American partners and many other partners beforehand, particularly those in the region, about our intentions and our plans."
TV journalist Vladimir Solovyov asked Putin about the cruise missile attacks from the Caspian Sea, commenting that U.S. intelligence had stopped working as of that time, to which the Russian President responded:
"Let’s not throw stones at it. American intelligence is one of the most powerful in the world, yet it does not know everything—and should not, for that matter."
As for the cruise missiles,
"these missiles have been in use not so long—since 2012. Their range is 1,500 kilometers, and they represent high-tech, high-precision modern weapons."
Putin also stressed that Russia has no imperial ambitions:
"We don’t need foreign territories, nor natural resources. We’ve got everything in abundance. We’re a self-sufficient country... [However] we must defend our independence and sovereignty. We’ve done it before, we are going to do it in the future."
He likewise expressed his strong condemnation of the double terror bombing in Turkey, calling it an "obvious" attempt to destabilize Turkey, and offered Russia’s help in fighting terrorism.
"It is necessary to unite efforts in the fight against this evil. What happened in Turkey... certainly is an impudent terrorist attack, a terrorist crime with scores of victims."
