Syria Peace Talks Delayed, Our Ships Complete Passage to Med: Russian DM

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday that talks aimed at ending the Syrian crisis was delayed indefinitely, noting that Moscow’s warships have concluded their passage to the Mediterranean.

During a conference call on Tuesday, said a Western failure to rein in Takfiri insurgents in Syria had indefinitely delayed the resumption of peace talks.

Militants backed by Western governments had been attacking civilians in the Syrian city of Aleppo, despite a pause in Russian air attacks.

“As a result, the prospects for the start of a negotiation process and the return to peaceful life in Syria are postponed for an indefinite period,” Shoigu said.

Meanwhile, the Russian DM said that the refusal of some countries to assist Russian warships heading to the Mediterranean did not impact the objective.

Russia’s aircraft carrier group has concluded its passage to the Mediterranean and was replenished by auxiliary ships last week, Shoigu said in remarks broadcast on Russian television.

“I will begin by saying that last week our naval carrier strike group led by the Pyotr Veliky missile cruiser made the passage across the eastern Atlantic to the Mediterranean sea. Auxiliary Ships ensured the complete replenishment of the naval group with all types of supplies to established norms on October 27-29,” Shoigu added.

The minister underscored the buzz that the ships’ voyage generated in the West.

“We were especially surprised by the position of individual countries that, under pressure from the US and NATO, publicly announced their refusal of entry into their ports,” Shoigu stressed.

“This did not affect the schedule of their passage along a given route because they are provided with all needed resources, as are our groups in Hmeymim and Tartus, where an average of 2,000 tonnes of various cargo is delivered per day,” he added.