Ending the summit, Mr Putin said that world opinion was firmly against US-led
intervention, and warned that Russia would take the Syrian side in the event of
conflict.
“Will we help Syria? We will,” he said. “We are already helping, we send
arms.”
He added: “We cooperate in the economics sphere, we hope to expand our
cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, which includes sending humanitarian aid
to support those people - the civilians - who have found themselves in a very
dire situation in this country.”
Russia has been a long-time supplier of weapons to Syria, including a
state-of-the-art air-defense system that would threaten even US warplanes
attempting to attack. The Russian president said his country would stand with the Assad regime in
Syria if the US launches airstrikes.
The apparent threat came as the G20 summit ended with a public split, 11 of
its members issuing a statement hinting at the need for US action against the
Assad regime of its alleged use of chemical weapons. Russia already supplies military aid to Syria, but the hint of more Russian
backing in the event of a confrontation with the US sent jitters through
financial markets worldwide.
Mr Putin also mocked Western leaders like US President Barack Obama
considering intervening in Syria, suggesting that the majority of their
electorates opposed any military action - including Prime Minister David Cameron
for failing to persuade the Commons to back British involvement.
Mr Obama, meanwhile, compared the Syrian crisis to World War II, likening his
country’s debate over intervention to the eventual American decision to support
Britain against Nazi Germany.
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