Our Combat Units Are All Ready for Action in Syria - Trump Was Wise to Back Down

- The situation is complicated. Once again, we are going live with the Head of the State Duma Defense Committee Vladimir Shamanov. That's General Vladimir Anatolyevich Shamanov. Hello. Thank you so much that you agreed to comment on this for us. Again, we've been reiterating that these speculations about war are a little cloying already.

We are tired of alarmism; everything is too serious. What can be done in such a situation in order to reduce, at least, the degree of the rhetoric, which is just inconceivable? And what have we done? Maybe there is something that we have done, on a diplomatic level? There were important statements from the General Staff.

 

Vladimir Shamanov, State Duma Defense Committee: "Good afternoon! Thank you so much. First of all, I want to calm our citizens and those who watch the Russia 1 channel in the countries of the former Soviet Union. So, according to all present canons, everyone can live in security and go about their business because the state authorities, including the defense, diplomatic and political ones, have been working 24 hours a day for the past three days.

There are certain rules and strategies, and it's not by chance that the Chief of the General Staff has already spoken on the work being done. He has a direct dialogue with the command of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff via our allies and Turkish colleagues. The lines of communications with NATO are verified and clarified.

Diplomatic and political statements have been expressed on all levels. No matter how emotional and threatening those statements by Mr. Trump were, we can see the reactions of both May and Macron, who definitely did not support him, which indicates that they are not on the same page and that the actions taken have already produced some initial results. Despite what they had hoped for when their ship entered neutral waters in close proximity to Syrian waters, there was no panic among the naval units in Tartus. All reconnaissance, air defense systems, and attack forces are fully and completely combat ready. They are confident. So that's why, after a certain period of time, Mr. Trump, thank God, displayed prudence, and declared, as of right now, that we at the Joint Chiefs, with cooperation with the General Staff, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have no reason to worry about an attack".

- Those were important words coming from our legendary battlefield commander, General Shamanov. Thank you so much, we know that you are running late for your flight. Vladimir Shamanov, the Head of the State Duma Defense Committee.