Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that the Islamic State (IS) terror group, which carried out attacks in Paris that killed 132, is being financed by 40 countries around the globe, including some G-20 nations.
RT.com, online arm of the state-run Russia Today and regarded as a mouthpiece of the Kremlin, quoted Putin as saying that, "I provided examples based on our data on the financing of different Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) units by private individuals. This money, as we have established, comes from 40 countries and, there are some of the G20 members among them."
However, RT.com does not state which countries Putin was referring to. Putin also spoke of the urgent need to curb the illegal oil trade by IS.
"I’ve shown our colleagues photos taken from space and from aircraft which clearly demonstrate the scale of the illegal trade in oil and petroleum products," he claimed according to RT.com.
"The motorcade of refueling vehicles stretched for dozens of kilometers, so that from a height of 4,000 to 5,000 meters they stretch beyond the horizon," Putin added.
Reiterating Russia's readiness to fight Islamic State in Syria and support armed opposition for the purpose, Putin reportedly said, "Some armed opposition groups consider it possible to begin active operations against IS with Russia's support. And we are ready to provide such support from the air. If it happens it could become a good basis for the subsequent work on a political settlement.
"We really need support from the US, European nations, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran," Putin said.
Putin claimed that the United States had changed its stance on cooperating with Russia after the Paris terror attacks.
"We need to organize work specifically concentrated on the prevention of terrorist attacks and tackling terrorism on a global scale. We offered to cooperate (with the US) in anti-IS efforts. Unfortunately, our American partners refused. They just sent a written note and it says: 'we reject your offer'," Putin said.
"But life is always evolving and at a very fast pace, often teaching us lessons. And I think that now the realization that an effective fight [against terror] can only be staged together is coming to everybody," Putin said.
The Russian President also rubbished western criticism of Russian actions in Syria, and said Russia's requests to the west to provide intelligence on terrorist targets in Syria have been ignored.
"They’re afraid to inform us on the territories which we shouldn’t strike, fearing that it is precisely where we’ll strike; that we are going to cheat everybody," the president said.
But, he added, Russia had already established contact with the Syrian opposition and agreed not to carry out air strikes in the territories it controls.
