Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad expressed “strong confidence” on Tuesday that Russia will continue supporting his government, speaking in an interview with Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television network.
“We have strong confidence in the Russians, as they have proven throughout this crisis, for four years, that they are sincere and transparent in their relationship with us,” Assad said, Middle East Eye reported.
When asked about US President Barack Obama’s comments earlier this month that Russia and Iran “recognize that the trend lines are not good for Assad,” he rebuffed the statement, saying Iran, too, remained a steadfast ally.
He said the recent nuclear deal between Iran and world powers would strengthen Iran’s role internationally, in turn benefiting Syria.
“The power of Iran is the power of Syria and a victory for Syria is a victory for Iran … We are on the same axis, the axis of resistance.”
Assad’s televised interview came as Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Syrian crisis with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on the sidelines of the Maks-2015 aerospace show in Moscow.
Assad described Russia as “principled,” while “the United States abandons its allies, abandons its friends.”
“This was never the case with Russia’s policy, neither during the Soviet Union, nor during the time of Russia ... Russia has never said that it supported president such and such and then decided to abandon him.”
Assad also stressed that the presence of fighters from the Lebanese movement Hezbollah in Syria backing his forces is legitimate.
“The difference (between Hezbollah and foreign anti-government fighters) is legitimacy … It (Hezbollah) came after an agreement with the Syrian state, and the Syrian state is a legitimate state,” whereas “the other terrorist forces came to kill the Syrian people.”
