Egypt "fully supports besieging terrorism and fighting it wherever it is," Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman told Aswat Masriya on Sunday, adding that Egypt supports Russia's recent decision to strike targets in Syria.
On Wednesday, Russia launched airstrikes on targets in Syria using the Syrian airfield Hmeymim. Russia says its targets have so far been Islamic State fighters in or near Idlib, Hamah and Homs.
But major Western powers are saying Russia does not distinguish between Islamic State fighters and other opposition groups to President Bashar al-Assad.
U.S. President Barack Obama described the Russian move as "a recipe for disaster," in a conference on Friday.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid's remarks follow Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri's comments in an interview with Saudi network Al Arabiya on Saturday that the purpose of the Russian presence is to "deliver a fatal blow," which is "consistent" with the efforts of the U.S.-led coalition to fight Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
But pundits believe that Egypt's support for the Russian strikes conflict with its support for the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, which brings together 65 countries. Russia has been supporting the Assad regime since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, while the U.S. along with Saudi Arabia, have backed the rebel Free Syrian Army.
Qasem al-Masry, former assistant foreign minister and current adviser to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said Egypt voiced its support for the Russian strikes on Islamic State fighters, which was "officially" announced by Moscow. Masry, however said Egypt has not expressed support for Assad.
He added that Egypt's backing of Russia's strikes comes in the context of the "warm ties" bringing the two together in recently.
Cairo-Moscow ties are stronger than they have been in years. In 2014 and 2015, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited Moscow four times, most recently last August, when the two countries announced cooperation in building Egypt's first nuclear power plant.
Russia handed Egypt a Molniya missile ship, described by Egypt's armed forces spokesman, as one of the "most advanced units in the Russian navy," in August of this year.
Yet Russia was not the only world power to aid Egypt militarily. Egypt has recieved multiple boosts this year.
In June and July, the United States delivered two fast naval vessels and eight F-16 fighter jets, as part of American support to Egypt's "security and military efforts to confront terrorism," worth $1.3 billion.
Raouf Saad, former Egyptian ambassador to Moscow believes the Egyptian support is not picking the Russian side "at the expense of Syria." He added that Egypt's support to strikes against Islamic State fighters in Syria or elsewhere is not new.
In 2014, Islamic State fighters seized control of large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria and proclaimed themsleves the leaders of a caliphate for all Muslims. The group has since expanded its activities through smaller militant groups which have pledged allegiance to it, such as Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis in Egypt.
Egypt's security forces have actively targeted Ansar in Egypt and have even launched strikes against targets belonging to Islamic State fighters on Libyan soil.
Russia's ministry of defence said in a statement that, "twenty-four hours a day UAV's [unmanned aerial vehicles] are monitoring the situation" in Islamic State fighters' activity areas.
Yet, the U.S. and several of its partners in the coalition against Islamic State fighters including the United Kingdom, France and Saudi Arabia, say Russia "did not target Da’esh [Islamic State fighters]" and that its military actions led to civilian casualties.
They called on Russia to cease its attacks on Syrian opposition and to focus on fighting Islamic State fighters, in a joint statement which was also signed by Turkey and Qatar.
Abu Zeid did not comment on the West's objection to the Russian strikes and only reiterated Egypt's support for strikes against Islamic State fighters.
