Russia will continue to sell arms to Syria

Russia’s top arms exporter said it intended to continue selling weapons to Syria, despite calls from the United States for Moscow to halt its weapons trade with Damascus and renewed calls from Turkey for Syria to cease military operations against civilians.Russia, the world’s second largest arms exporter, wants to make up for $4 billion of contracts lost when the United Nations placed an arms embargo on Libya this year and is also looking to Africa, South America and Southeast Asia to compensate.US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Russia last week to halt arms deliveries to Syria, one of the Russian defense industry’s best clients, following the crackdown on protests against President Bashar Assad.“There were deliveries of arms to Syria last year, and there will be deliveries this year. They will continue,” Anatoly Isaykin, general director of Russia’s top arms exporter Rosoboronexport, told a news conference at Russia’s premiere air show outside Moscow.There has been no sign from the Kremlin that Russia is about to respond to Clinton’s appeal by halting arms deliveries to Damascus.Russia has repeatedly stated that its sales in the region conform with international law and do not threaten regional security.Russia has carved out a niche selling arms to countries unwilling or unable to buy from the top arms exporter, the United States.