"I can say that Russia’s efforts in Syria forced Daesh to massively retreat from their controlled territory. I was happy to see that because the West didn’t want to get involved in the situation, but then Russia engaged," Poisson told Sputnik France.
The politician also underscored that despite everything Bashar Assad is in the only one who can prevent an extremist regime in Syria.
"Neither the Middle East nor Europe and Russia would like Islamist radicals coming to power in Syria. Since there is no real political alternative to Assad we should continue to cooperate with him," he said.
Poisson noted that Russia is emerging as the dominant player in the region and this is a big concern for the West.
"But this is not Russia to blame for that. Moscow only occupied a vacant place. The West did not want to take responsibility for the situation in the Middle East. The West retreated and many in the Middle East were frustrated by this move," Poisson pointed out.
"Even if Paris has been a long-time ally of the United States this does not mean that both countries always have same interests. We should formulate the differences and avoid a confrontation," he underscored.
Poisson also compared the situation in Aleppo, Syria, with the liberation of Iraqi Mosul.
"What is happening in Aleppo will also happen in Mosul. War is a terrible thing, we should not forget that. But Russia is not to blame for Aleppo. I believe that Daesh militants should be defeated by force in both Aleppo and Mosul," he concluded.
