Dimitri Simes on Syria: “[Russia] would not resist such an intervention…”

For the Monday, July 9th edition of Amanpour, host Christiane Amanpour interviewed the president of the Center for the National Interest, Dimitri Simes, for insights into Russia’s  resistance to Western intervention in Syria – and asked whether that position may be evolving.  This is a portion of that exchange:

AMANPOUR:  Well, you say Russia wouldn’t resist.  Do you mean if the United States decided to gather its own coalition and do, for instance, what it did in Kosovo, do an end run around Russia, that Russia would not resist?

SIMES:  Well, since you asked, recently had a top-level Russian delegation hosted by the Center for the National Interest, it included a senior Russians official being there in an official capacity.  And we had a private dinner this question was raised, and the answer was very clear.  Russia would not welcome such an intervention; Russia would not approve such an intervention.  It would not resist such an intervention and this intervention would not become a major issue in the U.S.-Russian relationship.

Amanpour airs weekdays on CNN International at 3:00pm with a replay at 5:00pm Eastern in the U.S.   The full transcript for this program is available here.  In Europe, Amanpour airs on CNN Internatioanl at 21:00 CET, with a replay at 23:00 CET.

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