Putin Says Some States Have ‘Oatmeal in Their Heads’ Over Syria
- Russian airstrikes seek to help fight terrorism, Putin said
- Military intervention changes Syria dynamic, UN envoy said
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Some of Russia’s international partners have “oatmeal in their heads” because they don’t understand clearly that its military campaign in Syria seeks to help the fight against terrorism, President Vladimir Putin said.
Russia notified the U.S. and the European Union in advance “out of respect” that it intended to begin airstrikes against Islamic State and other militants in Syria, Putin said at an annual conference organized by VTB Capital in Moscow on Tuesday. This showed Russia’s ready to cooperate on Syria, while nobody ever warned the authorities in Moscow about their operations, he said.