NATO chief: Russian strikes undermining Syrian peace talks
AMSTERDAM - Russia's intensification of air strikes in Syria is damaging to peace talks in Geneva that the US-alliance strongly supports, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday.
"The intense Russia air strikes, mainly targeting opposition groups in Syria, is undermining the efforts to find a political solution to the conflict," Stoltenberg told reporters as he arrived for an EU defence ministers meeting in Amsterdam.
"The increased Russia presence, the air activity in Syria, is also causing increased tensions and violations of Turkish airspace ... violations of NATO airspace," he said. "This creates risks."
Backed by Russian assaults, the Syrian army and its allies made significant advances against insurgents in the northern province of Aleppo in recent days.
