Highlighting the uncontrollable growth of arms deliveries to extremist groups, the Russian president called on all players in the global arms market to take greater responsibility for the terrorist threat.
© Mikhail Klimentiev Source: Sputnik
“We are seeing worrying and increasingly evasive trends in recent times,” Vladimir Putin said during a meeting of the military-technical cooperation commission with foreign countries on Nov. 7 in Moscow.
“First of all some members of the arms market are systematically deviating from the norms and principles of international law, and directly threaten the sovereignty of states. Instead of a real fight against terrorist groups, we see a mock struggle and an out-of-control increase in arms shipments, “said the Russian president.
“Today, weapons go to a so-called moderate opposition, here and there, and tomorrow they fall into the hands of radicals and terrorists,” Vladimir Putin said.
“It seems that hot spots and areas of conflict have become for some a simple profitable business,” said the Russian head of state. “The export of arms is a huge responsibility for any state,” he said, calling on “all members of the international market” to be aware of it.
The United States and its allies, such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, supported armed groups fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the six-year war in Syria, dragging them and delivering them arms and military equipment. These weapons have often fallen into the hands of radical Islamist groups, including those of Daesh and the al-Nusra Front (now Fatah al-Sham), two formations officially considered terrorist by the United States. Washington acknowledged that this problem was real but did not stop its deliveries.
