Putin shifts blame for deliberate targeting of civilians in Syria, says high casualties are 'inevitable' in war

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Russian President Vladimir Putin answer questions during a joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump after their summit on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, Finland.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin deflected questions about Russia's involvement in Syria's civil war where, it's estimated, at least half a million people have been killed.
• During an interview with with Fox News, Putin said victims are "inevitable."

Russian President Vladimir deflected questions about Russia's involvement in Syria's civil war, in which at least half a million people are estimated to have been killed.

During an interview with with Fox News Channel host Chris Wallace, Putin was asked about whether he had any "qualms" about civilians being killed in Russian bombings in both Aleppo and Ghouta.

"You know, when there is a warfare going on - and this is the worst thing that can happen for the humankind -victims are inevitable," Putin told Wallace.

"And there will always be a question of who's to blame," he added, before shifting responsibility to terror groups in the region, like ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra, for "destabilizing" the country's political situation.

Russia has supported the Assad regime in Syria since it formally entered the country's civil war in 2015.

Putin also tried to deflect the issue of casualties by talking about the Syrian city of Raqqa, where Amnesty International says US-led coalition airstrikes killed and injured thousands of civilians last year and left the city in ruins.

On Monday, President Donald Trump met with Putin in Helsinki and discussed a number of issues including the humanitarian situation in Syria.

"Cooperation between our two countries has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives," Trump said.