Skip to main content

EU: Russian Syria Intervention a 'Game Changer'

Share This article

European Union nations and others are warning that Russia's military intervention in Syria could have dangerous consequences, with one top EU diplomat calling it a worrying "game changer."

EU foreign ministers are calling on Moscow to center its military action in Syria against ISIS and to avoid moderate opposition targets.

The Russian air campaign which began Sept. 30 has backed moves by Syrian troops against insurgents fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

EU ministers released a statement warning, "This military escalation risks prolonging the conflict, undermining a political process, aggravating the humanitarian situation and increasing radicalization."

The EU ministers also want Russia to coordinate its military action in Syria with the EU and the United States.

Moscow's intervention has infuriated Saudi Arabia, which believes that the Russian air strikes are targeting rebel groups opposed to Assad.

Also, China is warning that the United States and Russia must be careful to avoid the Syrian conflict developing into a full-blown proxy war.  In an editorial in its flagship People's Daily newspaper, it scolded both countries for having an outdated Cold War mindset.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to insist that ISIS poses a major threat which justifies its air campaign in Syria. Arrests in Moscow this week may prove that point.

Russian security officials say they thwarted a planned attack on the Moscow public transportation system. They believe that some of the suspects were trained by Islamic State jihadists.

On Tuesday, insurgents in Syria fired two shells at the Russian embassy in Damascus. The attack came as hundreds of Syrian government supporters rallied outside the embassy compound to thank Moscow for intervening in Syria.

Share This article

About The Author

Heather
Sells

Heather Sells covers wide-ranging stories for CBN News that include religious liberty, ministry trends, immigration, and education. She’s known for telling personal stories that capture the issues of the day, from the border sheriff who rescues migrants in the desert to the parents struggling with a child that identifies as transgender. In the last year, she has reported on immigration at the Texas border, from Washington, D.C., in advance of the Dobbs abortion case, at crisis pregnancy centers in Massachusetts, and on sexual abuse reform at the annual Southern Baptist meeting in Anaheim