VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) — Russia is not targeting civilians in Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.
"I believe that all this 'wailing' we hear, that Russia targets the wrong places and harms the moderate opposition, stem from the ambiguity that lies at the core of the coalition's actions. There is a will to not let the terrorists roam, but not to interfere in cases when they may weaken the regime. From here come the baseless claims that we [Russia] practically break the laws of war and target civilians," Lavrov told Rossiya-24 television.
According to the Russian minister, the United States has been selectively targeting ISIL positions in Syria.
"This is quite a dangerous, and certainly an ambiguous game that does not give a clear idea of what the United States wants," he said. "They want for the Islamic State to weaken Bashar Assad as soon as possible, so that he somehow leaves, but at the same time, they do not want to strengthen the Islamic State so much that it seizes power afterwards."
