Russian Prime Minister Dmitry
Medvedev has warned of the possibility of a permanent or “world war” if
countries begin sending ground troops to Syria, in an interview with German
newspaper Handelsblatt.
Medvedev
is currently in Munich for diplomatic talks on the Syria crisis, which have so
far split participants into two camps: those opposed to Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad and the leader’s international partners such as Iran and Russia.
When asked
where Russia stood on Saudi Arabia’s offer to send troops into Syria as part of a U.S.-led
coalition, Medvedev said putting boots
on the ground was not in anyone’s best interest.
“Russia will limit itself to the
use of rockets and aircraft in the military operation in Syria and we will not
resort to [deploying] ground troops during our participation in the conflict,”
he said. According to him “a ground operation” in Syria, where several parties
are carrying out air strikes, would result in “dragging everyone involved into war.”
The
Russian prime minister warned that the start of ground operations in Syria
could result in a prolonged conflict in the country,that “could last years,
maybe even decades.” The politician urged world leaders to “remain seated at
the negotiation table and not start yet another war on this Earth.”
“We know
perfectly well what scenario all that leads to,” he said.
Medvedev
is heading the Russian delegation in Munich that also includes Russia’s Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov as U.S., Middle Eastern and European diplomats continue
to discuss the nature of the Syrian peace process.
On Friday,
Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced all parties had agreed
a “cessation of
hostilities” in Syria.
But they made the announcement with a pinch of salt, adding that the “real
test” will be whether all parties to the Syrian conflict honour those
commitments.