Fallon: Russian Federation is making Syria situation more risky

‘What it does do is complicate an already hard situation and make it very much more unsafe because these planes are not being co-ordinated with the rest of the campaign and more importantly than that, the strikes don’t seem to be for the most part strikes against Isil.

Tomorrow in Brussels, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ministers will be discussing how we can encourage the Russians to use their influence to stop propping up the Assad regime – which is bombing its own citizens and has helped to fuel the rise of Isil [Isis] – and let us get on with the effort against Isil, which is the real threat to our country.

He added they must also stop using unguided missiles in Syria.

“This is further reassurance for our allies on the eastern flank of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation – for the Baltic states and for Poland,” he said, as he arrived in Brussels for a meeting of alliance defence ministers.

The length of the deployment will be open-ended but it will work on a rotational basis with the U.S. and Germany, in line with post-Cold-War agreements about permanent troop placements in former Eastern Bloc nations.

A few said North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was looking for a new goal in the world, a reason to still exist, as it worked on its new “Strategic Concept”.

Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, suggested earlier this week that the beginnings of a consensus was emerging in parliament. “There are people on both sides of the House who need to be convinced, who two years ago weren’t convinced and possibly now regret their vote”.

Mr Fallon said he still wished Syrian air strikes had not failed a Commons vote in 2013. The defence secretary also revealed plans in August to double the resources in Ukraine, where President Petro Poroshenko has said he is trying to regain control of its eastern border with Russian Federation.

“NATO’s main task, core task is to be able to defend and protect all Allies and our response to the behaviour of Russian Federation, a more assertive Russian Federation”.

Asked about the United Kingdom joining the airstrikes, he said: “Isil is organised and directed in north-east Syria that is being targeted by America, French and Australian air forces”.

Now the government wants to extend its bombing campaign against IS from Iraq into Syria, but says it will only do so with Parliamentary approval.

The summit declared “we are determined to build a lasting and inclusive peace, together with Russian Federation, in the Euro-Atlantic Area”.

He said: “Russia ought to be part of us helping to get there instead of propping up a dictatorship”.