Assad says he will hide supplies of Russian S-300 missile systems Thursday, June 14, 2018 9:00:06 AM

Bashar Assad said that Damascus does not usually announce what weapons are delivered to the country. Talks about deliveries of S-300 missiles began after the United States, France and Britain attacked government facilities in April.

In an interview with the Iranian television channel Al-Alam, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad commented on the possible supply of Russian S-300 missile complexes to Damascus.

When asked whether Russia will supply Syria with S-300 missile systems, the Syrian leader suggested that the question be redirected to Moscow. SANA news agency reported Assad as saying that Damascus does not usually disclose what kinds of weapons are delivered to the country. He mentioned that Syria, during the attacks by the United States, France and Britain, and then from Israel, defended itself with a weapon it had not made public.

“We will not report on whether or not there will be a delivery of the S-300. A weapon is used when it must be used,” the Syrian president said.

Touching upon the issue of relations between Russia and Syria, Assad stressed that these relations are already about 70 years old. Russia has always remained a friend of Syria and has supplied it with everything, including weapons, he said. For Russians, it is not typical for their alliances to be temporary or based only on their own interests, the Syrian leader said, stressing that relations with Russia are strategic. Assad added that Russia does not interfere in the internal affairs of Syria, and it always discusses its proposals with Damascus. As a result, the Syrian leader stressed, the final decision always rests with the Syrian leadership and the people.

In April, after strikes on Syrian targets by forces of the United States, France and Great Britain, the Russian General Staff stated that Russia could again consider of the issue of supplying Syria with S-300 missiles.

Afterward, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the issue of delivering S-300 missiles to Syria has not yet been decided. In May, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on plans to supply S-300 complexes to Syria.

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