Syrian civil war: Russia says it is open to supporting Free Syrian Army rebels - if they can find them

The shift in position is seemingly aimed at deflecting criticism of its intervention in the country’s civil war

A Free Syrian Army fighter monitors the movements of forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. Russia has said it is open to helping the Western-backed rebels (Reuters)

Russia has said it is open to helping Western-backed rebels in Syria, a shift in position seemingly aimed at deflecting criticism of its intervention in the country’s civil war.

Russia’s air force has conducted a bombing campaign in Syria since the end of September, which it says is aimed at the positions of the so-called Islamic State, but the US and rebel groups say that it has been hitting areas without an IS presence.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, said that the Kremlin was ready to support Free Syrian Army rebels – if Russia knew where they were. He said the US would not give Moscow the locations of the opposition group or the terrorists.

The Kremlin is the strongest foreign ally of the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad. It says that he must be part of any transition and that the Syrian people will decide who rules them. Washington has said it could tolerate Mr Assad during a short transition period, but that he would then have to exit the political stage.

Mr Lavrov phoned US Secretary of State John Kerry on 24 October to discuss organising talks between the Syrian government and opposition, the Russian foreign ministry said.

Reuters