The Kremlin said on Tuesday that all attacks on Russian and Syrian government forces in Syria's Idlib province should stop and that agreements it had struck with Turkey on the conflict had to be upheld.
Moscow made its comments, which underscore rising tensions over Syria between Russia and Turkey, after Syrian government forces took control of a highway in northwest Syria for the first time since 2012.
Turkey and Russia this week held talks in Ankara aimed at trying to dial down confrontations between Ankara and Damascus that have killed 13 Turkish soldiers in Idlib province in the past week.
Russia, a close ally of the Syrian government, hashed out a deal with Turkey in 2018 to enforce a demilitarized zone in Idlib and another deal in October last year to remove Kurdish YPG fighters from areas close to the Turkish border.
But Moscow's relations with Turkey have come under strain as Russian-backed Syrian government forces have pushed ahead with an offensive in the region that has displaced many civilians and stoked Turkish fears about refugee flows.
"At the moment, we consider the most important thing is the implementation of... agreements (between Russia and Turkey)... and of course the suppression of any terrorist activity directed against the Syrian armed forces and Russian military facilities," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"We consider such sorties from Idlib unacceptable," he said.
Russia said last week that some of its troops had been killed in militant attacks in Idlib and that such attacks were emanating from a Turkish-controlled zone in the region.
Peskov said there were no plans currently for President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to hold face-to-face talks on Syria, but has repeatedly said that such a meeting could be arranged quickly if need be.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
