Syrian President Bashar Assad. AP PHOTO
WASHINGTON, United States鈥擶ashington warned Russia on Tuesday that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has no role in coalition operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group and must step down to allow a political settlement.
Secretary of State John Kerry called his Kremlin counterpart Sergei Lavrov to restate the US position after Russia鈥檚 President Vladimir Putin promised to maintain military support for Assad.
鈥淪ecretary Kerry made clear that Russia鈥檚 continued support for President Assad risks exacerbating and extending the conflict, and undermining our shared goal of fighting extremism,鈥� his office said.
Kerry 鈥渞eaffirmed the US commitment to fight ISIL (ISIS) with a coalition of more than 60 countries, of which Assad could never be a credible member, and emphasized the US would welcome a constructive Russian role in counter-ISIL efforts,鈥� it added, using an acronym by which the ISIS is known.
鈥淭he secretary stressed that there is no military solution to the overall conflict in Syria, which can听only be resolved by a political transition away from Assad.鈥�
READ: US warns Russia over 鈥榤ilitary buildup鈥� in Syria
The United States had hoped to convince Russia, a long-standing ally of Damascus, to help convince Assad to step down and permit a transitional regime to negotiate an end to Syria鈥檚 civil war.
Washington and its allies are bombarding ISIS positions inside Syria, and supporting 鈥渕oderate鈥� rebel forces there, but insist the Damascus government itself is part of the problem.
But Moscow sees Assad鈥檚 army as a bulwark against Islamist rebels, including the ISIS, and has continued to send military equipment and trainers to bolster its position.
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