Cagey Russia defends possible Syrian anti-aircraft missile deal

Moscow says international law doesn’t restrict sale of S-300 defense system to Assad; Netanyahu may fly out to persuade Putin to cancel

Russia’s foreign minister defended his country’s sales of antiaircraft systems to Syria, insisting they are not banned by international law.

Speaking in Warsaw on Friday, Sergey Lavrov appeared to avoid saying clearly whether Moscow would sell Syria advanced S-300 batteries.

The foreign minister emphasized, however, that Russia is not planning to supply Syria with any weapons beyond the current contracts that are nearing completion, Russia Today reported.

Israel has asked Russia to cancel what it says is an imminent sale of S-300 batteries to the Syrian government, arguing it would complicate the situation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, having returned from China on Friday, was reportedly planning to fly to Moscow in the coming weeks to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to scrap any delivery of S-300s.

Asked by reporters whether Russia is planning to supply the S-300, Lavrov said: “Russia is not planning to sell. Russia has been selling for a long time, has signed contracts and is completing deliveries of technology that consists of anti-aircraft systems.”

Lavrov said the weapons are to help Syria defend itself against air attacks.

Israel suspects that Russia plans to sell Damascus six S-300 missile batteries, as well as 144 missiles, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The long-range ballistic system, which can down both fighter planes and intercept cruise missiles, would represent a significant upgrade for Syria’s already formidable air defenses.

According to the WSJ report, Israeli officials say the deal has been in the works since 2010, when the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad began making payments for the $900 million package.

There have been several unconfirmed reports of the sale of the missile system to Syria over the past year.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, also present in Warsaw, said Friday he held “intensive” talks with Lavrov and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski about arms shipments to Syria, Reuters reported.

“It is also a controversial subject between us,” Westerwelle said. “We think that all arms shipments need to stop, a political solution has to be given a chance.

“And because this is so difficult and important … everything should be done in order to halt arms shipments to Syria,” the German foreign minister added.

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