Russia Doesn't See Eye to Eye with Us Re: Isis

Senior Russian diplomat slams US-led coalition's policy on fighting ISIS

The US-led coalition's policy on fighting Islamic State group (ISIS, IS, ISIL) is "flawed" because it does not stipulate cooperation with countries, such as Syria, on whose territory the armed stand-off against ISIS is carried out, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said, as quoted by RIA Novosti (part of the state-owned International News Agency Rossiya Segodnya) on 9 September.
"The basis of US-led anti-ISIS coalition's actions is flawed, in our opinion, because it does not stipulate, for instance, that the key point of such cooperation must be at least cooperation with the countries on whose territory this fight is carried out. But the USA early on turned down such contacts, for instance, with Damascus. How can one say under such conditions that the anti-ISIS coalition is fully universal, global and comprehensive? Some basic elements should be changed," Ryabkov said.
He went on to say that Russia's cooperation with the USA on many issues, including the fight against Islamic State is hindered by Washington's policy. "Cooperation on a great many issues is hampered by Washington's political settings penetrating the entire US line on Russia. When American colleagues manage to understand that there are problems in the world which it is impossible to solve without Russia, then, I think, such cooperation [on fighting ISIS] would work out," Ryabkov said.
He noted that for the time being the USA and Russia "are most of all debating on what [to do] and how to deal with ISIS".