Russian Ship, Loaded With Attack Helos, Turns Away From Syria

A Russian-made Mi-24 Hind used by Macedonia. A Russian ship bound for Syria and loaded with export versions of these helos is reportedly turning back. Photo: Wikimedia

A transport ship the U.S. believes is carrying attack helicopters to Syria is now heading back to Russia. Ostensibly, the MV Alaed turned around after its insurance coverage was pulled. But the ship's return coincides with a meeting between Obama and Vladimir Putin ' a sign the two leaders may be starting to cooperate on what to do about Syria's deadly war.

According to press reports, the Alaed, with its load of Mi-25 attack helos, had its insurance yanked by its British insurer, Standard Club, on Monday. The insurer had been reportedly approached by British security services and informed that providing insurance to the Alaed, which is owned by Russian cargo line Femco, violated European Union sanctions prohibiting arms sales to Syria. The insurer pulled its coverage, and the ship then turned back toward the Russian port of Kaliningrad. The ship had earlier stopped about 50 miles off Scotland's northwest coast.

'The foreign secretary made clear to Russian foreign minister [Sergey] Lavrov when they met on 14 June that all defence shipments to Syria must stop,' a British Foreign Office statement read. The Foreign Office added that it is 'working closely with international partners' to 'stop the Syrian regime's ability to slaughter civilians being reinforced through assistance from other countries.'

But it's not clear if the ship was also ordered to return to port by Russian authorities. EU sanctions, for one, do not have jurisdiction over Russian ships. If Russia really wanted the ship to continue to Syria, and remained complicit in the slaughter of civilians, then it's unlikely anyone could have stopped them. But letting the ship continue on its way would also contradict statements made by Vladimir Putin on Monday during the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. During the leaders' two-hour meeting, which is the first time the two have met as presidents, Putin and Obama agreed to a 'peaceful' resolution to Syria's bloodshed.

'In order to stop the bloodshed in Syria, we call for an immediate cessation of the violence and we pledged to work with other international actors, including the United Nations, Kofi Annan, including the movement towards a political transition to a democratic, pluralistic political system, which would be exercised by the Syrians in the framework of the sovereignty, independence, unity and the territorial integrity of Syria,' a joint statement issued by the two presidents read.

But there was no agreement on what to do about Bashar Assad. Russia won't go so far as to throw one of its oldest allies out of power. Nor was there even a peep about endorsing any kind of military intervention to stop the massacres, which would entail overthrowing Assad like NATO overthrew Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi. On the other hand, Moscow has agreed in the past on some (limited) steps: telling Assad to withdraw artillery and other heavy weapons from urban areas, and endorsing a cease fire.

Meanwhile, Putin's reception to NATO's missile interceptors in Europe was frosty. Putin asked for a legal guarantee from Obama that the interceptors will not target Russia's own nuclear forces (the missile 'shield' is ostensibly directed at Iran). Despite disagreements, a joint statement read, the United States and Russia agree 'to continue joint search for ways to resolve controversial issues in the area of missile defense.' The two leaders also agreed to strictly implement the new START treaty, which limits deployment of nuclear weapons in Europe.

The timing also coincides Tuesday with more denials from the Russian Defense Ministry that amphibious landing ships loaded with marines were headed to the Syrian port of Tartus, where Russia maintains its only warm water port outside of the former Soviet Union. A Defense Ministry spokesman told RIA Novosti that the ship, the Kaliningrad (not to be confused with the port of the same name), 'is currently taking part in the Celtic Week [festival] and will soon return to its home port,' the spokesman said. Another landing ship, the Caesar Kunikov, was also rumored to be heading to Syria. Russian officials said it's really participating in a routine exercise.

If only the two leaders could see eye-to-eye on Assad. But sending attack gunships like the Hind back to port, well, that's a start.