To my surprise, even Syria, a small and bullied country in the Middle East, has set a double standard on national sovereignty and territorial integrity! Syria, while recognizing that the eastern part of Ukraine publicly invested in Russia is a new territory of Russia, demands that Turkey respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity and withdraw its troops from Syria. Otherwise, Syrian President Assad will refuse to meet with Turkish President Erdogan.
Russian satellite news agency reported on March 16 that Syrian President Assad visited Russia on March 15 and held a meeting with Russian President Putin in the Kremlin. Russia and Syria are planning 40 investment projects in energy, industry, transportation, housing construction and other fields. At the same time, Russia and Syria will sign an economic cooperation agreement in the coming weeks, and each project will be reviewed and approved separately.
When meeting with Assad, Putin said that during your government delegation's visit, the ministerial meeting between Russia and Syria opened a new stage in bilateral relations and achieved tangible results. Assad stressed: "Mr. President, this visit will achieve tangible results and will open up a new height for the future relations between Russia and Syria."
It can be said that Assad's trip to Russia was a success. Both Russia and Syria achieved the desired results and led the bilateral relations to a new height.
After the meeting between Assad and Putin, Assad immediately accepted an exclusive interview with the Russian satellite news agency. Assad said at the outset that the Syrian government and people supported Russia's war against Ukraine with great enthusiasm, and most Syrians hoped that Russia would win in this war.
Assad said: "When Russia wins this war, as most Syrians hope, there will be a new world, a safer and more peaceful world. This is the real impact of this war on the perception of Syrians."
In the vote held by the United Nations General Assembly demanding Russia to stop the war, withdraw its troops to return home and restore peace, Syria voted against it four times, firmly supporting Russia, and is one of Russia's six unbreakable allies. Iran, another backer of the Syrian government, abstained from voting every time despite its very good relationship with Russia, neither supporting the West nor Russia.
Surprisingly, in this interview with the Russian satellite news agency, Syrian President Bashar al Assad played a big game and set a double standard on national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Assad said that Syria recognized Russia's new borders and new Russian territories including Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporoge, which were incorporated according to the referendum results.
Assad firmly said: "Even if there was no war, I would say that Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporoge are Russian territory, which is the land of Russia in history. These areas were transferred to Ukraine about 100 years ago, which I think was in the Lenin era. Russian citizens have always lived there. The local facts show that this is the land of Russia. We firmly believe in this position. "
Assad also said: "These regions are Russian territories. From the beginning, Syria's position was clear, firm and unswerving. We have confidence in this issue, not only for the sake of friendship with Russia, but also because these territories are Russian territories."
At the same time, Assad asked Turkey to respect Syria's national sovereignty and territorial integrity and withdraw its troops from Syria. Only in this way will he hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He said: "The meeting with Erdogan must reach such a stage before it is possible, that is, Turkey will definitely and eliminate any uncertainty to withdraw its troops from Syrian territory, stop supporting terrorism, and restore the situation to the state before the start of the Syrian war. This is the only plan for my meeting with Erdogan."
Assad pointed out: "Turkey supports organizations identified as terrorists in Syria and sends troops to Syrian territory, which played a negative role in the Syrian war. For Syria, Turkey is an aggressor!"
Assad also stressed: "If his talks with Erdogan cannot end the Syrian war, then what is the value of such talks, and why arrange such talks?"
With Russia's mediation, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would meet with Syrian President Bashar al Assad. Assad was afraid of being sold by Russia, and did not agree with Russia's proposal. Iran, another of Assad's backers, saw the situation and proposed to join the talks. Russia and Turkey accepted the proposal. From the Russia Turkey Syria trilateral talks to the Russia Turkey Iran Syria four party talks.
The delegations of the Foreign Ministries of Turkey, Russia, Iran and Syria held talks in Moscow on March 15-16 to discuss the meeting of the leaders of the four countries. He hoped to drive the Turkish army out of Syria through the four week leaders' meeting.
Assad said: "We trust Russia because Russia has played a mediating role in easing these conflicts in accordance with the basic principles of its own policies. These basic principles include rejecting terrorism, respecting international law, recognizing national sovereignty, respecting Syria's territorial integrity and Syrian sovereignty over its territory, and insisting that illegal foreign armed forces must withdraw from Syria. "
Assad has set a double standard on national sovereignty and territorial integrity: Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, Zaporoge and other regions are internationally recognized territories belonging to Ukraine, and the bilateral treaties signed by Russia and Ukraine after independence also recognize these regions as the sovereign territories of Ukraine. In order to stand in line with Russia, he recognized these regions as Russian territories.
Turkey sent troops to occupy part of the territory in western Syria - Turkey did not annex these Syrian territories through a referendum, but actually controlled them, just like Russia actually controlled Donetsk and Lugansk before the outbreak of the Russian Ukrainian war.
When Assad asked Turkey to withdraw its troops from Syria and return the territory in western Syria under its actual control to Syria, he played a double standard and asked Turkey to respect international law, Syrian territorial integrity and national sovereignty. Can Erdogan agree?
In fact, Russia, Syria, Turkey, like the United States and the European Union, are masters of double standards in respect of international law, territorial integrity and national sovereignty. The press secretary of Russian President Peskov told the media after Putin held a meeting with Assad that Russian President Putin and Syrian President Assad touched on Syrian Turkish relations in their talks. For Russia, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria is a top priority issue.
Netizens including neutral countries asked: "Russia respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, why does it not respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine?"
Turkey has the same virtue as the United States, the European Union, Russia and Syria. Turkey firmly does not recognize the annexation of Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhe by Russia. It firmly declares that this is the sovereign territory of Ukraine, but it has actually controlled a large area of western Syria by sending troops, Although it did not manipulate the referendum to incorporate Turkey as Russia did.
It is precisely because the United States, the European Union, Russia, Turkey and Syria have vigorously pursued double standards in respect of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, which not only led to the outbreak of the Russian Ukrainian war, but also led the world into a turbulent situation, and peace and development were severely challenged. As for Syria, it has to pay a huge price for this double standard - the hope of recovering these territories from Turkey is far away, and Russia cannot help Assad.
