America's Warning to Russia: Back Off Syria

The United Statse is growing increasingly worried over signs of increased Russian military presence in Syria and has warned Moscow to back off.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the second time in five days.

U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said that Kerry "reiterated our concern about these reports of Russian military buildup."

Kirby added that if the reports are true it could "lead to greater violence and even more instability."

Also on Wednesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is concerned about the reports.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the West of creating "strange hysteria" over Russian activities. She noted that Moscow has supplied weapons and sent military specialists to Syria for years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has long maintained that Russian arms shipments and military advisers in Syria are just part of international efforts to combat the Islamic State.

That's what makes the situation complicated because both the United States and Russia oppose ISIS, but the United States also wants to see new leadership in Syria. The United States fears that Russia's military buildup there could allow Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad to maintain his lock on power.

Meanwhile, the world must grapple with the massive Syrian refugee crisis. More than 4 million Syrians have fled their country since 2012.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon noted this week, "The Syrian government in particular has not lived up to its obligation under international law to protect the civilians."

"The conflict is a colossal tragedy for Syria and a shameful symbol of international divisions," he added.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama's critics have called for a more forceful military response in Syria and accuse him of "leading from behind."

"The current crisis before us is not a migrant issue," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said. "It's a mass exodus of refugees who are fleeing conflicts that this administration has refused to address for years."