If reports that Russia is boosting its military presence in war-wracked Syria prove true, this would "complicate the picture and be a negative development," Italy's foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Thursday.
"I hope that the news in recent days on Russia's presence is less alarming than it seems," Gentiloni told Italy's SkyNews24.
"It could just be an increase in the numbers of troops deployed to the military bases it has always had in Syria," he said.
"But if it [Russia] were under the illusion it could resolve the situation via arms, it would complicate the picture and be a negative development," Gentiloni stated.
His comments came after Reuters quoted unnamed US officials on Wednesday as saying Moscow has sent additional aircraft and two tank landing ships to Russia's naval base in the Syrian coastal city of Tartus in recent days.
The US officials were also quoted by Reuters as saying a small number of naval infantry forces have been deployed.
Russian soldiers are already taking part in the fighting on the ground in Syria, where Assad has come under increasing pressure, Reuters quoted unnamed Lebanese officials as saying.
US secretary of state John Kerry warned his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday that if the reports were found to be true, "it could lead to greater violence".
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said if confirmed, Russia's involvement in Syria would not help to solve the brutal conflict, which required efforts on all sides to find a political solution.
The German and French foreign ministers have also warned against a further military escalation in Syria.
Russian officials have repeatedly dodged questions over whether there has been a recent increase in military assistance to Syria's authoritarian president Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have been fighting various rebel groups since 2011.
A key ally of Syria during its four-year civil war, Russia says it has sent military experts and has not unequivocally denied any build-up of its forces in Syria.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Iran told Russian media that Moscow had been granted permission to fly planes over Iranian territory en route to Syria. Iran did not immediately confirm this.
The US has since last year spearheaded a campaign of airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, where Assad forces on Wednesday lost control of a key air base in Idlib - one of their final positions in the northeastern province.
Russia and the US disagree sharply on Syria. While Russia has backed the Syrian government, and provided it with arms, the US wants Assad removed.
"I hope that the news in recent days on Russia's presence is less alarming than it seems," Gentiloni told Italy's SkyNews24.
"It could just be an increase in the numbers of troops deployed to the military bases it has always had in Syria," he said.
"But if it [Russia] were under the illusion it could resolve the situation via arms, it would complicate the picture and be a negative development," Gentiloni stated.
His comments came after Reuters quoted unnamed US officials on Wednesday as saying Moscow has sent additional aircraft and two tank landing ships to Russia's naval base in the Syrian coastal city of Tartus in recent days.
The US officials were also quoted by Reuters as saying a small number of naval infantry forces have been deployed.
Russian soldiers are already taking part in the fighting on the ground in Syria, where Assad has come under increasing pressure, Reuters quoted unnamed Lebanese officials as saying.
US secretary of state John Kerry warned his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday that if the reports were found to be true, "it could lead to greater violence".
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said if confirmed, Russia's involvement in Syria would not help to solve the brutal conflict, which required efforts on all sides to find a political solution.
The German and French foreign ministers have also warned against a further military escalation in Syria.
Russian officials have repeatedly dodged questions over whether there has been a recent increase in military assistance to Syria's authoritarian president Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have been fighting various rebel groups since 2011.
A key ally of Syria during its four-year civil war, Russia says it has sent military experts and has not unequivocally denied any build-up of its forces in Syria.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Iran told Russian media that Moscow had been granted permission to fly planes over Iranian territory en route to Syria. Iran did not immediately confirm this.
The US has since last year spearheaded a campaign of airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, where Assad forces on Wednesday lost control of a key air base in Idlib - one of their final positions in the northeastern province.
Russia and the US disagree sharply on Syria. While Russia has backed the Syrian government, and provided it with arms, the US wants Assad removed.
AKI
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