MOSCOW. June 13 (Interfax-AVN) - The U.S. has no moral right to lecture Russia on weapons supply to Syria, Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy director of the Center for Strategies and Technologies Analysis, said, adding that the helicopters U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was talking about likely underwent maintenance in Russia.
"Even if we assume that combat helicopters are now indeed being passed to Syria, this action would not at all contradict the current norms of international law dealing with weapons trade," Makiyenko told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
The U.S. "sells huge amounts of weapons to the repressive Saudi regime, which took part in the tough suppression of peaceful shiite protests against the despotic regime in Bahrain," the expert said.
"Systematic suppression of the opposition takes place in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. has no moral right to lecture Russia on who should get weapons and who should not," the expert said.
In the meantime, "Russia has recently refrained from supplying weapons to Syria that could play a decisive role in the authorities' fight against illegal armed groups, which are financed and supported from abroad," he said.
"If the statements made by State Secretary Hillary Clinton have any relation to reality, she most likely meant the supply f helicopters that underwent maintenance in Russia. In general, the U.S. state secretary's invectives are in line with the broad media war waged in the West against Bashar Asad's regime," Makiyenko said.
Clinton earlier said she had information that Russian combat helicopters have already been shipped and are on their way to Syria. During her public appearance with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Clinton said the supply of helicopters will lead to a sharp escalation of the conflict in Syria.
Rosoboronexport does not comment on whether the helicopters have been supplied to Syria or not, saying the company does not supply to foreign countries military equipment that falls under international sanctions.