W.H. Maintains Russia ‘Doubling Down on Their Support for Assad Is a Losing Bet’

BILBASSY-CHARTERS: “Thank you, Josh. The Russia has warned the U.S. not to send troops to Syria. Do you see any linkage between the timing of deploying these forces and the negotiations in Vienna? In other words, will they strengthen the hands of the U.S. team and the allies to show that they are willing to step up the military assistance to the moderate forces?”

EARNEST: Well, It is certainly an ironic argument for the Russians, who have committed so much military equipment and personnel on the ground in Syria to make the suggestion that the United States should refrain from doing so. It’s particularly ironic because Russia claims that they are doing that to fight ISIL, when in fact, we know that their operations are focused in those areas where ISIL forces are not present, or at least not frequently present. We know that the Russian military presence there is geared toward propping up the Assad regime. And we’ve made clear, for months now, that Russia doubling down on their support for Assad is a losing bet. And doesn’t make our campaign against ISIL more likely to be successful, if anything it undermines it. So, that all being said, our focus on diplomacy is an acknowledgement of the fact that the problems plaguing Syria don’t have a military solution. They only have a diplomatic and political one. And we’d like to see a political transition inside of Syria. The Russians themselves, have acknowledged that this is necessary. Now, it also highlights the internal contradiction in their strategy, that they are carrying out a military strategy that makes the successful completion of their political strategy, less likely. But those are tough questions for them to try to answer, to the extent that they’re willing to do that. What the United States has been doing is trying to build up the capacity of local forces, and local opposition, so that there is actually a political opposition that can engage in conversations about a political transition. So, what Secretary Kerry is doing in Vienna right now, is trying to bring around the table all of those with influence and a stake in the outcome inside of Syria, to try to find some common ground about the need for a political transition about how exactly to affect that transition. And that’s been hard work, getting Russia, and Saudi Arabia, and Iran into the same room is a painstaking effort and it’s not something that happened, recently. But, it is  what we believe is necessary for us to try to make some progress in pursuit of the only solution that addresses all of the root causes, of the problems we are seeing in Syria right now.”