Russian ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said the entry of Turkish troops into Iraq was a surprise for the United States.

“I came to the conclusion that those actions of Turkey were surprising for the US, that in general is very strange. He also added this could mean that Turkey was “an unpredictable player” whose actions can draw a protest not only of the Iraqis, but also puzzle the United States.

According to the Iraqi authorities, on 4 December Turkish soldiers entered Iraqi territory in the province of Nineveh. They allegedly arrived in the country to prepare Iraqi forces to fight ISIS.

On 5 December the Iraqi government demanded the withdrawal of the Turkish troops from the country, calling it a violation of the sovereignty and the invasion.

On 7 December Prime Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu told Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that the country was ready to withdraw its troops and wanted to develop cooperation with Iraq.