Russia's Actions in Syria Chance to End Civil War

WARSAW (Sputnik) — Russia’s decision to launch an air operation against Islamic State (ISIL) extremists in Syria is a chance to resolve the country's civil war, Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna said Wednesday.

"This denotes [Russia’s decision] that maybe there is a chance to say that all of us want to solve the Syrian problem. Because there will be no order without a solution to the situation. And there will be no chance for restoring order in that part of the world and in the world as a whole," Schetyna said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian upper house of parliament unanimously approved President Vladimir Putin’s request to deploy the Russian Air Force on ISIL targets in Syria. Putin submitted his request to the Federation Council after Syrian President Bashar Assad asked for assistance in defeating the extremist group.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since March 2011. Government forces have been clashing with "moderate" opposition factions and extremist groups, such as Islamic State and the Nusra Front.

According to the United Nations, the armed conflict has killed over 250,000 people and forced over 11 million to flee their homes.