Medvedev Warns against Starting ’New World War’

Local Editor

Commenting on recent statements from Saudi Arabia claiming that it was ready to send ground troops to Syria, should Washington lead the way, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned that such demands risk starting a new world war.

In a wide-ranging exclusive Handelsblatt interview, Medvedev said sending troops to Syria risks drawing "everyone taking part in it into a war" and drastically escalating the conflict.

"All ground operations, as a rule, lead to permanent wars," he said. "The Americans must consider whether or not they want a permanent war."

"We must make everyone sit down at the negotiating table...rather than start yet another world war," Medvedev added.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates called for sending ground troops into the region and asked the United States to take the lead in such an offensive.

However, Medvedev said Russians and Americans in particular should exert pressure on the war-faring parties in Syria to reach a settlement for a truce.

He further justified Russia's own military campaign in Syria as designed to prevent terrorists from attacking other European cities. The air strikes were necessary to avoid "brainwashed murderers" returning to Europe and doing "the same as what they did in the past in the North Caucasus, in Moscow and other Russian cities, what they did in Paris and all over the world, including the United States."

Besides, Medvedev called for an end to the sanctions imposed on Russia by Europe and the United States, urging the European Union to take the lead in bringing them to an end.

"We are waiting for our EU colleagues to make the first move," he said. Europe should find the "courage to admit that the economic sanctions should be lifted because they haven't done anything good for either Europe or Russia."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team