In his speech at a UN General Assembly Session in 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for the creation of an international anti-terrorist coalition to combat the threat posed by ISIS*, a terrorist organization that emerged in the wake of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Urging other nations to act not on their ambitions but on common values and interests, Putin proposed forming a global coalition that, just like the coalition of Allied nations in World War II, would stand against those who “sow evil and spread hatred against humanity.”
He pointed out how Western powers essentially helped arm and train ISIS militants by providing weapons and training to members of the so-called “moderate Syrian opposition” who then defected to ISIS.
Making declarations about the threat of international terrorism while simultaneously turning a blind eye on how such terrorist groups are funded and supported is hypocritical, Putin stated without naming any particular.
Putin also criticized those who refused to cooperate with the Syrian government, noting that troops loyal to President Bashar Assad were fighting valiantly against the terrorists.
Western powers, despite styling themselves as stalwart opponents of terrorism, de facto ignored Putin’s proposal. The United States, for example, opted instead to illegally occupy a large portion of Syria’s territory under the pretext of fighting ISIS separately from Russia.
*ISIS, also known as the Islamic State (IS), is a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other countries.