North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ‘worried’ over Russian Federation Syria role

Speaking to reporters in Brussels ahead of a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation defense ministers meeting on Thursday, Stoltenberg said: “NATO is ready and able to defend all allies, including Turkey against any threats”.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation denounced Russian Federation in a statement on Monday for violating Turkish airspace along the frontier with Syria, while North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ambassadors told Russian Federation to halt its incursions into Turkey’s airspace saying the violations were both “extremely dangerous” and “irresponsible”.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says only two Russian air strikes in Syria had targeted Islamic State jihadists and warned that Ankara won’t make any concessions on its border security.

Rebel advances in western Syria earlier this year had threatened the coastal region vital to President Bashar al-Assad’s control of the area and prompted Russia’s intervention on his side last week.

Meanwhile, a few media reports have claimed the Iraqi government has welcomed Russia’s airstrikes in Syria but Earnest said none of the 65 members of the US-led coalition members fighting Daesh have offered support or encouragement to Russian Federation for its actions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strikes spoke to the professionalism of Russia’s revamped military.

Wednesday’s attack showcased Russia’s advanced military capabilities and closer coordination with the governments of Iran and Iraq, whose airspace the missiles traversed before striking targets in Syria held by the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, an affiliate of al-Qaeda.

Although military planners are preparing for a worst-case scenario, with Russian and American forces in an all-out clash, the Obama administration still appears to be pursuing a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.

“We didn’t know when Russian Federation would fly the first sortie, but our analysis of the capabilities that were there was that they were there for a reason”, the official added.

The two planes were F-16s that had departed from Turkey’s Incirlik air base and were on their way to a location near the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa, a senior defense official told CNN.

“The world is changing and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation needs to develop the ability to react to many things at once,” he said.

But according to Washington, more than 90 percent of Russia’s strikes have targeted the moderate opposition. “This is a fundamental mistake”, Carter said.

But Russian Federation has now seized the initiative in Syria and this coordinated offensive with Assad’s forces could be a game changer.

The Russians insist they are targeting Islamic State (IS) extremists – also referred to as Isil – but Western powers say they have largely hit mainstream opposition forces.