Keeping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power is not crucial for Russia, RIA news agency quoted Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova as saying on Tuesday.
Keeping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power is not crucial for Russia, RIA news agency quoted Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova as saying on Tuesday.
When asked if saving Mr Assad was a matter of principal for Russia, Ms Zakharova said: “Absolutely not, we never said that.”
“We are not saying that Assad should leave or stay,” she added.
UK govt denies dropping plans for vote on Syria air strikes
British Prime Minister David Cameron has not dropped plans to seek parliamentary support to bomb Islamist militants in Syria, a source in his office said after reports that he had done so.
Several newspapers said on Tuesday he had abandoned the plans after failing to get enough backing. They also cited the fact Russia’s move to support Mr Assad by bombing ISIS militants in Syria had complicated the picture.
Mr Cameron has said he wants to do more to tackle ISIS. Keen to avoid a repeat of his 2013 defeat over airstrikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, he has been trying to build cross-party support for extending strikes to Syria from Iraq. He has a slim majority in Parliament and some of his own Conserv-atives are opposed to expanding strikes.
