Russia backs Syrian army against terrorism: Sergei Lavrov

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted today that Moscow is not wedded to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, but is backing his army against the Islamic State group.

“We don’t support Assad, we support the fight against terrorism,” Lavrov argued, after a meeting of the International Syria Support Group in Vienna.

“On the ground we don’t see any more real and efficient force than the Syrian army, even given all its weaknesses,” he told reporters.