BY Mayowa Tijani
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president who was recently named Forbes most powerful man on earth, has alleged that some nations in the G-20 are responsible for funding Islamic State (IS).
Speaking to journalists at the G-20 summit ongoing in Turkey’s coastal province of Antalya, Putin said the extremist group gets its funds from 40 countries from around the world.
Though the countries were not disclosed to the press, Putin said he revealed the intelligence to members of the G-20, adding that more has to be done to cut ISIS funding.
“I provided examples based on our data on the financing of different Islamic State (ISIS) units by private individuals,” he said.
“This money, as we have established, comes from 40 countries and, there are some of the G20 members among them.
“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.
“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.”
He called on some specific countries to support in the fight against ISIS, adding that the US has refused Russia’s offer to cooperate against ISIS.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
“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’”.
Countries in the G-20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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