Western arms for Syrian rebels could end up in Europe: Putin

Putin made the remarks during a press conference at the end of a two-day Group of Eight summit on Tuesday in Enniskillen, a secluded golf resort in the center of Northern Ireland.

"There are many such criminals in the ranks of the (Syrian) opposition, such as those who committed the brutal murder in London,” the Russian president said, referring to the May 22 slaying of a British soldier in the southeast London district of Woolwich by ax- and knife-wielding assailants.

"Is it these people that the Europeans want to supply arms? What happens next with those weapons? Who will control in which hands they end up? They could possibly (end up) in Europe," Putin added.

He also said that Moscow had abided by rules and norms when providing weapons to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"We are supplying weapons under legal contracts to the legal government. That is the government of President Assad. And if we are going to sign such contracts, we are going to deliver," he stated.

On June 16, speaking at a joint press conference in London with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Putin said, “It is barely worth it (supplying arms) to support people who not only kill their enemies but open up their bodies and eat their internal organs in front of the public and the cameras."

"Do you want to supply these people with arms? In that case this hardly has anything to do with the humanitarian values which have for centuries been preached in Europe," he added. "At least in Russia we cannot imagine this."

Putin was referring to video footage that surfaced on the internet last month of a militant eating what appeared to be the heart of a dead Syrian soldier.

In an interview with Time magazine on May 14, the cannibal terrorist, known by his nom de guerre Abu Sakkar, confirmed that the video was real and that he did indeed take a bite of the soldier’s lung. Human Rights Watch said it was a war crime.

Meanwhile, in the final G8 summit declaration, which was issued on Tuesday, participants promised to make diplomatic efforts to find a political solution to the two-year crisis in Syria.

"We remain committed to achieving a political solution to the crisis based on a vision for a united, inclusive and democratic Syria," the communiqué read.

"We strongly endorse the decision to hold as soon as possible the Geneva conference on Syria," the statement said.

However, the G8 leaders failed to reach consensus on the future of Assad. Putin frustrated US-UK efforts to win backing for the ouster of the Syrian president.

The Russian president argued that any decision on ending the crisis in Syria should be made by Syrians themselves and all parties should be included in the process.

However, US President Barack Obama and Cameron insisted that the rule of Assad must end.

"It is unthinkable that President Assad can play any part in the future of his country," Cameron said.

The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of government forces, have been killed.

Damascus says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.

The Syrian government says the West and its regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants.

In addition, several international human rights organizations say the militants operating in Syria have committed war crimes.

HK