Addressing an annual industrial fair in German city of Hannover, Putin said “As for Syria we don’t have a solution yet. What do I think should be done is to halt arms import to the country, to all sides of the conflict.”
Responding to the allegations that Russia is supplying weapons to Syria, Putin said, “We supply the legitimate regime. This is not prohibited by international law.”
Moscow has repeatedly said that it is only fulfilling contracts that are already signed, which includes sending only defensive weapons.
“There are international legal norms stating that it is unacceptable to supply arms to the armed groups that strive to destabilize the situation in a certain country with the use of arms,” Putin said, describing the situation in Syria as “a disaster” and “a catastrophe.”
“This has to stop,” Putin concluded.