Russian Foreign Minister Sergei lavrov said today that the Islamic State (ISIS) group was Moscow’s greatest enemy, notwithstanding the strained relations with the United States over the Ukraine conflict. “Islamic State is our main enemy at the moment. If only because hundreds of Russian citizens, hundreds of Europeans, hundreds of Americans fight alongside IS,” he said in an interview with three radio stations. “They are already coming back... and to enjoy themselves could stage vile acts at home,” lavrov said in an interview with Russian radio stations when asked whether he considers China, IS or NATO Russia’s greatest threat.
lavrov said “hundreds of Russian citizens, hundreds of Europeans, hundreds of Americans are fighting for IS, along with CIS (former Soviet) countries.” “They are already returning home. They come here to rest after fighting and can get up to dirty tricks at home,” he said. “As far as (relations with the) United States are concerned, these are state issues, these are issues of the world order, which have to be resolved through talks.”
Russia’s relations with the West, particularly with the United States, have plummeted to a post-Cold War low over the war in Ukraine and sanctions imposed over Moscow’s role in supporting pro-Russian militants. Russia has criticised air strikes by a US-led coalition against Islamic State positions in Syria and Iraq, and encouraged Washington to work with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the battle against IS.
“We are helping both Iraq and Syria, possibly more effectively than anyone else, by providing weapons to their armies and security forces,” lavrov said, without giving details of the weapons. Moscow faces an Islamist insurgency in the mainly Muslim North Caucasus region and President Vladimir Putin has warned that other countries could use radical Islam to try to weaken Russia. Ties between Moscow and the West are at their lowest point in decades over the crisis in Ukraine, which was one of the main themes of the interview.