Germany voices concern over Russian and Iranian meddling in Syria

BERLIN

Germany on Friday voiced concern over Russia and Iran's interference in Syria, urging all parties in the conflict to protect civilians and advance the process for a political solution.

Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer criticized the activities of Iran-backed militias in Syria, and Russia's airstrikes targeting anti-regime forces.

"We view the intervention of foreign states, such as Russia's airstrikes, with great concern. The reports of regime reinforcement by militias close to Iran are also deeply worrying,” Fischer said, referring to the two main supporters of the Assad regime.

Germany is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with its allies, with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock engaging in discussions with various counterparts, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, to address the ongoing developments.

"Türkiye certainly has a central role to play in dealing with the current crisis, firstly because it has a common border with Syria and secondly because there are around 4 million Syrian refugees in Türkiye," he said.

Fischer emphasized Germany's support for a political resolution based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, while hinting at concerns over potential new refugee movements due to the escalation of the conflict.

"It is crucial that civilians and civilian infrastructure be protected and that no further displacements occur," he said, adding that "access to humanitarian aid should not be interrupted and the safety of humanitarian aid workers must be guaranteed."

The spokesman reaffirmed Germany's firm opposition to the Assad regime, highlighting the regime’s history of war crimes and human rights violations.

"Assad, of course, leads a regime that has stopped at nothing in the past, and has also used chemical weapons against its own population. We suspect it (the regime) still possesses chemical weapons. He is a ruthless mass murderer," Fischer said.

Syrian opposition factions have been fighting regime forces in several regions since Nov. 27. The anti-regime forces have gained control of Idlib province in the north and most of Aleppo province and captured Hama in central Syria on Thursday after extensive clashes for days.