Translation and transcription by Scott Humor
Good afternoon. We have concluded the first trilateral meeting on the level of Secretaries of Councils of Defense of Russia, Israel, and the United States on the settlement issue. Russia has once again reconfirmed her adherence to the principles of the territorial integrity and unity of the Syrian Arab republic, as well as the goals and principles of the UN charter. We have expressed our standpoint that the Syrian conflict doesn’t have a military solution. And we have reaffirmed our support to only Syrian own and Syria-lead political process facilitated by the UN according to the Resolution of 22.54 of the UN Security Council. We have underlined the need for the international community to support Russia and our partners in facilitation the political processes of stabilization inside Syria including the creation of the Constitutional Committee as soon as possible, following by the development of the highest law of the country.
We have emphasized an importance of easing of the tensions for the country (Syria) between Israel and Iran, by the way of implementation the mutual approaching steps. We have made an emphasis that Syria must not be turned into an arena for geopolitical confrontation. We have also highlighted the need for the international community to help Syria to rebuild its national economy. Among other things, Syria should be free of illegal trade restrictions, unilateral sanctions, as well as sanctions on economic operators that help Syria to rebuild. They also have to be free from all sanctions.
We also turned everyone’s attention to the relations of Syria and other Arab states that should be normalized again. Syria is once again should be a full-fledge member of the Arab League. Also, we pointed out an importance of establishing the contacts of Syrian government with its Kurdish ethnic minority. We stated of importance to unite the efforts to eliminate all remaining in Syria terrorists. We called for immediate disruption of all channels through which terrorists might be able to obtain weapon grade chemical materials and their precursors.
Russia, the United State and Israel should join their efforts to help peace to return to Syria.
In the context of the statements made by our partners with regard to a major regional power, namely Iran, I would like to say the following: Iran has always been and remains our ally and partner, with which we are consistently developing relations both on bilateral basis and within multilateral formats,
This is why we believe that it is inadmissible to describe Iran as the major threat to the regional security and, moreover, to put it on par with the Islamic State or any other terrorist organization, Especially, since Iran contributes substantial efforts to bring peace to Syria and to stabilize the situation in Syria.
We have called on our partners to show restraint and readiness for reciprocal steps, which must serve as the basis for the consistent advancement towards the easing of tensions in the Israeli-Iranian relations,
In conclusion of our meeting we expressed our gratitude to our host, the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and to Israel’s authorities for their warm welcome.
Q.: Concerning Iran. You have discussed of the shooting down the US drone. How do you access this situation with relations with Iran?
A.: We have not discussed this situation with our partners. All I know comes from the briefing of the Russia’s Ministry of Defense that the UAV was in Iran’s airspace. This is the information I have. There was no other evidence presented to us.
Q. Russia Today: On June 13th, there was an attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. The US resorted to another round of “highly likely,” blaming Iran. What kind of way Russia sees here?
A.: First and foremost, an objective investigation should take place. Evidence presented so far are not allowed to make any decisions. Some say that it was a torpedo attack. Th experts say that there is no evidence of any torpedo attack against these tankers. Some other say that it was a job of underwater swimmers of some special NAVY forces. Again, there is no evidence to support this claim. Because the methods and the techniques would be completely different in case professionals would be involved. The damages caused to these tankers don’t support this assessment. We don’t see that. As for the damages that they are trying to show us so far they say that it was absolutely unprofessional, and what they try to demonstrate to us is absolutely without quality.
That’s why I want to go back to the beginning of my statement that we need to have an objective investigation. We should not assign blame, but to get to the bottom of this issue.
Last question.
Q.: Do you agree that Israel delivers air-strikes against Iranian targets in Syria, while you are trying to stabilize the Assad government?
A.: We had discussed that we need more effective cooperation between Russia’s Ministry of Deference and Israel. As you know, many of the air-strikes could have been prevented. That is the way to alleviate Israel’s concerns. We need to alleviate these concerns by non-military means.
Patrushev is one of Putin’s oldest friends, associates and operatives.
His career path followed in Putin’s footsteps to the major Intel posts and later appointed by Putin to head the Security Council after over a decade of leading the FSB.
His little careful speech in the video laid the hard line of Russia regarding Syria’s sovereign rights, the war against terror, the Kurds, Iran as ally in a group of allies, and the strong suggestion that the Russian and Israeli ministries of defense should identify “threats in Syria from Iran” and get them resolved without airstrikes. In other words, Russia will police Syria for Israel and work to reduce any threat that Israel suspects is Iranian.
He deflected the suggestions that the drone shot down was in International air space. He said the Russian MOD has its evidence that the drone was in Iranian airspace. He rejected the claims against Iran over the two attacked tankers.
This is a serious man who did not alter one millimeter because he was a guest in Israel for the high level security meeting. You heard the Kremlin foreign policy as it relates to every issue Israel and the US brings up about Iran, Russia and Syria. Everything was exactly Russia’s POV. And it did not sound like that would change, but Russia wanted more talk and less shooting, and the end to sanctions on Syria and Iran.
This was a meeting agreed to in order to placate Bibi. Now Bibi knows. Russia isn’t budging from its path and Israel needs to change its operations from kinetic to diplomatic, especially military-to-military deconfliction and de-escalation.
A firm reiteration of Russia’s policies and views.
Looks like Israel did not get what it was hoping for.
Will be interesting to see if the Israeli attacks continue and if the Russians will respond differently.
First time I have heard a senior Russian official refer to Iran as an ally.
“In other words, Russia will police Syria for Israel and work to reduce any threat that Israel suspects is Iranian.”
Nonsense, Russia has no such desire to be an asset of israel, chasing imaginary israeli foes in Syria. The Russians know full well that israel’s war against Syria is about israeli expansion, a land and resource grab, the israeli propaganda about Iran threatening them from Syria being the usual zionazi-gay cover of their own aggressive plans.
Indeed I don’t read it like that either.
Instead, I see it as pressure on Israel to define themselves.
Currently Israel uses vague alusions of undefined “treats”; actually a blanket excuse to make airstrikes when they want.
By asking Israel to define the “iranian trats”, Russia narrows the maneuvring latitude of Israel, and that could end some strike scenarios.
All that in a non military way (and that is a new trend, at which Russia is very good at : suppressing military treats by non military means).
Of course, Israel can simply refuse; but that will hurt Israel image, as it is admitting that actually there is no “iranian treat”.
This is a very good synopsis of Patrushev’s presentation. Here is a man who doesn’t loose control and handles difficult to field questions with dignity and control. The US could learn a lot from how the Russians conduct themselves – but sadly they have long ago lost the art of diplomacy. And Thank you to the Saker too.
Russia, China, Iran and Syria think about the past millennia and plan for the next century.
Hegemon and Experiment_that_failed think about the past quarterly report and plan for the next news cycle.
Sounds like the proverbial “speaking truth to arrogant power”. I would be interested to know if maybe for once the Russian message got through to either Israel or America. What is being discussed isn’t really a run of the mill issue but whether either the U.S. or Israel will observe international law.
The websayanim wont be happy with what Patrushev said here…
But I am.
The MSM is completely ignoring this 3-way get together because Russia has used it as a platform to objectively assess the current situation with Iran.
Russia said it had evidence that the US drone was in Iran’s airspace when it was shot down – that did not sit well with the MSM
Russia said the evidence presented so far by the US about Iran’s involvement in the attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf, us amateurish at best – This again is not what the NSM wants to hear
Russia said to conflate Iran with ISIS is unacceptable – The MSM again, does not wish to hear this
So Iran, emerged the winner, from these over-hyped 3-way talks.
Selah
Anyone who knows Patrushev’s history would know that he would not be “used” by Bolton and Bibi.
Russia is quite predictable on principles. Their “currency” is reliability, in word and deed in foreign affairs.
What sometimes confuses observers is Russians will talk with, listen to, anyone. Doesn’t mean they are softening or shifting gears.
The result of this meeting is ultra clear. The US and Israel cannot alter Russia’s operations in Syria. Russia will work, in spite of the obstacles created by Israel and US, to achieve its goals in the ME.
The three players (Russia, US, Israel) can keep their militaries apart with deconfliction procedures, but the US and Israel cannot stop the Russians in the small spaces of combat and their proxies will be destroyed by the Russian and Syrian armies.
As Lavrov said early in the war, if it looks like a terrorist, acts like a terrorists, quacks like a terrorist, it’s a terrorist and Russia came to Syria to kill terrorists. That will continue.
LIVE! Trilateral meeting of the US, Russian & Israeli National Security Advisers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH4lCaUj4kI
Miroslav Sulc’s comment:
Too little, too late, This kind of meeting should have taken place long time ago, before 2003, when Iraq
war started. ” Balkanization” of the Middle East has been almost completed, only Iran remains. Look at
millions of innocent victims and tremendous suffering of people of Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen and other
countries and genocide of Palestinian people!!! All peaceful people must be alert and stay awake.
You think the US and Israel would talk to Russia if they are having their way in Syria like they did in Iraq and Libya? Is Irael talking to Patrushev for peace in Syria? To discuss and negotiate an acceptable outcome is the Russian approach, not Israel’s. Israel is primarily interested in getting its way. That’s where the impasse is. Its intransigence is clear in its ruthless violation of the airspace of various countries to shell Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon in the past.
Thank you for the link, but tried to get English subtitles for Patrushev — none, no alert either not automatic translation and that from Netanyahu’s site. Shocking lack of protocol — but then, not surprising … Israel not keen to allow we all understand Patrushev’s — no doubt, powerful words after Bolton’s usual hot air rhetoric.
Not sure if all is sweetness and light.
..”Israeli media outlets are in hysteria over the alleged Russian meddling into GPS nagivation over Israel for the past three week. Some of them, like Army Radio, even called the move a “hostile attack.” It even claimed that Israel had sent a defense official to Russia to settle this situation.”
Patrushev read the Kremlim’s riot act to Miliekowsky and Bolton in Jerusalem (with Ben Shabbat in attendance but upstaged by Miliekowsky). To make sure the message is received by Bolton’s boss, Putin also read the Kremlim’s riot act to Trump in Osaka. It goes like this paraphrase: “Iran is our ally and thus there will be no one-sided nuclear attack against Iran.” Following this, a number of USA allies were consulted if they were on board against Iran. From Japan to NATO most declined with the exception of the UK. Furthermore, since the UAE is the weakest link, it immediately substantially reduced its deployment from the Saudi led Yemen war.
The “rotation” of 12 x F-22 to Qatar is a sign that USAF recognizes the presence of an unusually resilient multi-layered AD/A2 environment that may include both S-400 at Bushehr manned by Russians, S-300s plus capable domestically produced Bavar knock offs. The F-22 are for Air Superiority Combat and not really useful for bombing land or sea targets. Since Iran has an antiquated air force, the F-22 is a signal to RF and China (say SCO) to stay out of the fight. But this is impossible because Iran borders the Caspian Sea which is today almost an RF lake. I would assert that Russians will not be willing to share it with the USAN. This is covered adequately with several Mig35 c/w Kinzhal payloads plus Caspian sea based Kalibr cruise missile launch platforms. Check the scope and location of the surprise readiness snap drill just concluded in RF Central District
https://menafn.com/1098700343/Russia-wraps-up-largescale-military-drills-involving-150000-troops
Correction. This F22 lot possess ground attack, ew, signals intelligence gathering capabilities in addition to its primary air superiority role.
” We had discussed that we need more effective cooperation between Russia’s Ministry of Deference and Israel. As you know, many of the air-strikes could have been prevented. That is the way to alleviate Israel’s concerns. We need to alleviate these concerns by non-military means.”
Translation: We need to cooperate in allowing Israelis to bomb Syria”.