The Federation Council (the upper chamber) of the Russian parliament
has voted unanimously on Wednesday to grant President Vladimir Putin the
right to deploy the country’s military troops in Syria, Russian state news agencies reported.
The upper chamber of the Russian parliament met at a close-door
session to discuss Putin’s request. The Kremlin said in a brief
statement today morning that Putin sent a request to the Russia’s upper
chamber for the authorization of the use of force in Syria “on the basis
of universal principles and norms of international law.”
Sergei Ivanov, the head of the Kremlin administration, told
journalists after the vote has been announced: “The Syrian president
asked the leadership of our country for military assistance.” He added,
“the authorization is necessary not in order to achieve some foreign
policy goals” but “in order to defend Russia’s national interests.”
Ivanov told the Interfax News Agency that the parliament has approved
the use of Russian aviation, signaling that Russia could begin carrying
out airstrikes in Syria soon.
When asked at the United Nation in New York on Monday whether Russia
will engaged in airstrikes in Syria, Putin said “we do not rule out
anything but if we act, we will do it in strict compliance with the
international law.”
The last time Putin requested the Federation Council to hold a
similar vote was before Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea, in March 2014.
Then, the upper chamber voted unanimously to grant Putin the right to
use military force in Ukraine.
http://neurope.eu/article/russian-parliament-approves-the-use-of-troops-in-syria/