‘Foreign-backed Syria opposition against peace efforts’

Russia says the foreign-backed Syrian opposition coalition is seeking to thwart peace efforts and provoke military intervention in Syria ‘through any means.’

“We are under the impression that the National Coalition and its regional sponsors are doing everything so as not to allow the start of the political process and achieve military intervention in Syria through any means possible,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters.

On Wednesday, the so-called Syrian National Coalition said it would engage in peace efforts only if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad resigned.

“These demands are impossible to fulfil,” the Russian foreign minister said, adding, “The only thing that unites them is a demand of Bashar al-Assad’s immediate departure.”

“I hope that there will be sensible forces among the Americans and Europeans who will be able to rein in those who condone these absolutely unacceptable aggressive approaches of the National Coalition and who try to make this coalition look like the only structure with which the Syrian government should talk,” Lavrov stated.

President Assad said on Thursday that Damascus was already in possession of the first batch of the Russian S-300 missile defense systems.

The Syrian president told Lebanon’s Al-Manar TV that the second shipment of the Russian systems will be delivered to Syria soon.

The foreign-sponsored militancy in Syria, which erupted over two years ago, has taken its toll on the lives of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel.