On Thursday Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying in an interview published late by the German newspaper Handelsblatt that “a ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war”.
Commenting on the recent proposal from Saudi Arabia on sending their ground troops to Syria, Dmitry said “the Americans and our Arab partners must consider whether or not they want a permanent war”.
Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands, reporting from Moscow, said Medvedev’s comments were an explicit warning to the United States and its regional allies, including Saudi Arabia.
Challands added “He basically told them to back off on sending troops because if they did, this might result in some sort of interminable or even a world war”
On Thursday, in an interview with Al Jazeera Vyacheslav Matuzov, a former Russian diplomat said “I think all groups would understand there is no solution but a political solution. Those who do not agree to stop fighting will be enemies, and will be destroyed, as I understand to be the result of Munich”