NATO accuses Russia of not supporting peace solution in Syria

Brussels, Oct 8: The Russian military intervention in Syria is not helping to achieve a peaceful and lasting political solution in the Arab country, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday.

"My concern is that the Russians are not mainly targeting IS but they are targeting other opposition groups and they are supporting the regime," Stoltenberg said upon his arrival for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting at the level of defence ministers.

"I call on Russia to play a constructive and cooperative role in the fight against IS. Not to continue to support the (Syrian President Bashar) Assad regime. Because to support the regime is not a constructive contribution to a peaceful and lasting political solution in Syria," he added.

The NATO secretary-general observed that there was a "renewed need for political initiatives to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria, because in the long term there is no military solution".

"... has to be an end to the fighting, there has to be a political solution, a transition," he said.

IANS