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| Russia Defends the Presence of Its Military Advisers in Syria | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| MOSCOW — The Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that Russian military advisers were in Syria, but it said that their presence was part of a longstanding agreement to provide military aid to the country. | MOSCOW — The Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that Russian military advisers were in Syria, but it said that their presence was part of a longstanding agreement to provide military aid to the country. |
| Russian military aid to Syria has become a new source of tension between Washington and Moscow over the past few days, with the United States accusing Russia of escalating the conflict. | Russian military aid to Syria has become a new source of tension between Washington and Moscow over the past few days, with the United States accusing Russia of escalating the conflict. |
| “Russian military specialists help Syrians master Russian hardware, and we can’t understand the anti-Russian hysteria about this,” said Maria V. Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, adding that Russia had never made a secret of its cooperation with Syria over military technology. | “Russian military specialists help Syrians master Russian hardware, and we can’t understand the anti-Russian hysteria about this,” said Maria V. Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, adding that Russia had never made a secret of its cooperation with Syria over military technology. |
| “We have been supplying Syria with arms and military equipment for a long time,” she said. “We are doing this in accordance with existing contracts and in full accordance with international law.” | “We have been supplying Syria with arms and military equipment for a long time,” she said. “We are doing this in accordance with existing contracts and in full accordance with international law.” |
| Ms. Zakharova said that Russia was weighing its options in terms of intensifying the fight against the extremist organizations seizing territory from the Damascus government. On Wednesday, the government reportedly lost control of its only remaining air base in the northern province of Idlib after it was seized by the Nusra Front, Al Qaeda’s affiliate in the country, and other insurgents. | Ms. Zakharova said that Russia was weighing its options in terms of intensifying the fight against the extremist organizations seizing territory from the Damascus government. On Wednesday, the government reportedly lost control of its only remaining air base in the northern province of Idlib after it was seized by the Nusra Front, Al Qaeda’s affiliate in the country, and other insurgents. |
| “If we need to take further measures to intensify counterterrorism efforts, these issues will no doubt be examined further, but solely on the basis of international law and the Russian legislation,” Ms. Zakharova said. | “If we need to take further measures to intensify counterterrorism efforts, these issues will no doubt be examined further, but solely on the basis of international law and the Russian legislation,” Ms. Zakharova said. |
| The United States has asked Bulgaria and Greece to deny Russian flights to Syria permission to fly through their airspace, and Bulgaria agreed to the request on Tuesday. | The United States has asked Bulgaria and Greece to deny Russian flights to Syria permission to fly through their airspace, and Bulgaria agreed to the request on Tuesday. |
| Russia has said that the flights are carrying humanitarian aid, and it has criticized the American attempt to block them. | Russia has said that the flights are carrying humanitarian aid, and it has criticized the American attempt to block them. |
| The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it would consider allowing flights if the Russian planes could be inspected at a Bulgarian airfield, but Moscow said it wanted to know why overflight permission had been denied. | The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it would consider allowing flights if the Russian planes could be inspected at a Bulgarian airfield, but Moscow said it wanted to know why overflight permission had been denied. |
| “If somebody has any doubts — in this case, I mean our Bulgarian and Greek partners — they, of course, have to explain what the problem is,” Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian deputy foreign minister in charge of Middle Eastern affairs, was quoted as saying by the news agency Interfax. | “If somebody has any doubts — in this case, I mean our Bulgarian and Greek partners — they, of course, have to explain what the problem is,” Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian deputy foreign minister in charge of Middle Eastern affairs, was quoted as saying by the news agency Interfax. |
| Russia became embroiled in a similar dispute with Turkey in 2012 after a civilian aircraft carrying radar was forced down. | Russia became embroiled in a similar dispute with Turkey in 2012 after a civilian aircraft carrying radar was forced down. |
| The latest dispute between the United States and Russia follows a brief period of cooperation in August, when Secretary of State John Kerry endorsed a renewed effort by his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, to forge a political solution to the crisis in Syria. | The latest dispute between the United States and Russia follows a brief period of cooperation in August, when Secretary of State John Kerry endorsed a renewed effort by his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, to forge a political solution to the crisis in Syria. |
| After Russia helped hammer out a deal over Iran’s nuclear program, the Syrian issue was seen as another way for Moscow to show that it could be a useful international partner and should not be subject to international sanctions over its role in the Ukraine conflict. | After Russia helped hammer out a deal over Iran’s nuclear program, the Syrian issue was seen as another way for Moscow to show that it could be a useful international partner and should not be subject to international sanctions over its role in the Ukraine conflict. |
| Although the Russians have tried to put together a team of roughly 40 members of the Syrian opposition to negotiate with the government of President Bashar al-Assad, there has been no sign of a breakthrough. | Although the Russians have tried to put together a team of roughly 40 members of the Syrian opposition to negotiate with the government of President Bashar al-Assad, there has been no sign of a breakthrough. |
| Much of the opposition in exile, backed by the United States, insists that Mr. Assad should have no role in a political transition because his reluctance to share power in the face of a nonviolent political movement led to the civil war that erupted in 2011. | Much of the opposition in exile, backed by the United States, insists that Mr. Assad should have no role in a political transition because his reluctance to share power in the face of a nonviolent political movement led to the civil war that erupted in 2011. |
| Moscow has rejected any effort to make Mr. Assad’s departure a precondition for a political settlement, saying that decision must be left to the Syrians. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said last week that any solution to the crisis should move on a dual track — suppressing the extremist Islamic State and forging a domestic political solution. | Moscow has rejected any effort to make Mr. Assad’s departure a precondition for a political settlement, saying that decision must be left to the Syrians. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said last week that any solution to the crisis should move on a dual track — suppressing the extremist Islamic State and forging a domestic political solution. |
| Political analysts have suggested several reasons for Russia’s higher profile in Syria. | Political analysts have suggested several reasons for Russia’s higher profile in Syria. |
| One possibility is that it wants to join the international coalition in the fight against the Islamic State, or to put the United States in the uncomfortable position of excluding Russia from such an effort. | One possibility is that it wants to join the international coalition in the fight against the Islamic State, or to put the United States in the uncomfortable position of excluding Russia from such an effort. |
| Another is that with Mr. Assad in control of just a quarter of the country, Moscow could be trying to either shore him up or protect its longstanding alliance there if his government collapses. There has long been speculation that if the government in Damascus crumples, its core, members of the Alawite religious minority, would try to create a smaller state in its heartland along the coast. | Another is that with Mr. Assad in control of just a quarter of the country, Moscow could be trying to either shore him up or protect its longstanding alliance there if his government collapses. There has long been speculation that if the government in Damascus crumples, its core, members of the Alawite religious minority, would try to create a smaller state in its heartland along the coast. |