US says it must 'fight IS alone, Russia's contribution is zero'

US Defense Secretary accuses Russia of reneging on promise to help fight Islamic State; Moscow responds by saying his comments were just a 'final incitement'.

US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter. Photo: Reuters.

"They came in. They said they would deal with the Islamic State (IS) and help end the civil war in Syria. They didn't do anything. As a result, we have to deal with IS ourselves," US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program on January 8, according to Sputnik. He said Russia's contribution was "zero."

Russian State Duma Deputy Speaker Irina Yarovaya today called Mr Carter's comments "inflammatory and unprofessional".

"The comments from the head of the Pentagon can be described as 'the final provocation'. It means a complete failure, when someone loses morale and the only choice is to blame the effective counter-terrorist party, which is Russia," said Yarovaya.

Secretary Carter was also asked about allegations of Russian interference in the US presidential election. He called the cyber attacks an "act of aggression" against American democracy and said President-elect Donald Trump should consider retaliatory measures.

"I think we should not limit ourselves when cyberspace is used to attack us," he said, warning against responding with military force.

Russia began its anti-terrorist campaign in Syria in September 2015 at the request of the Syrian government. Many efforts have been made to broker a ceasefire and negotiate peace between the parties in the Syrian civil war.

The first ceasefire, brokered by Russia and the United States, took effect in early 2016 but violence continued, especially in the city of Aleppo. The second ceasefire, brokered by Russia and Türkiye, took effect after Syrian government forces retook Aleppo from the opposition in late 2016.

According to VNE