U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said Moscow should back, rather than hamper, American efforts to eliminate the jihadist group Islamic State.
The militant group, known as ISIS or ISIL, is a danger to Russia as well as to the U.S., Kerry said in an interview with Voice of America aired Thursday.
ISIS, which in recent months has taken control of vast and oil-rich territories in Iraq and Syria, has carried out public beheadings on two U.S. journalists and pledged to bring about a new 9/11 attack in America.
It has also personally threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin and promised to reignite jihad in the restive republic of Chechnya, which recently weathered 15 years of Islamist violence.
The United States this week announced its intentions to launch bombing strikes against ISIS forces in war-torn Syria.
But Russia on Thursday denounced the plan, saying that without a mandate from Syrian capital Damascus or the UN Security Council the bombings "would be an act of aggression, a gross violation of international law."
"I would hope that Russia will come to see that ISIL really represents a threat to them, too," Kerry said Thursday of Russia's response.
Russia has staunchly backed Syrian President Bashar Assad ever since the outbreak in 2011 of a civil war, which has seen government forces pitted against an opposition currently dominated by extremist Islamists.
About 800 Russian Islamists, including many from Chechnya, are fighting for the anti-Assad movement, according to British newspaper The Independent.
The CIA estimates ISIS' forces at between 22,000 and 31,000 fighters, an agency spokesman told the CNN news channel.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
