Russia urges the US to implement the announced withdrawal of its soldiers from Syria as soon as possible. „We know that US President Donald Trump is actively working to keep his election promises. But that happens in US politics only in rare cases, „President Vladimir Putin said today in Sochi on the Black Sea.
He spoke after talks with his colleagues from Turkey and Iran. A troop withdrawal could have a positive effect and stabilize the situation in the civil war country. But he still sees no signs, said the Kremlin boss.
Too great an influence of Turkey, Russia and Iran fears
Trump had announced in December the withdrawal of American troops from Syria. He has not yet submitted a timetable for the withdrawal. The deduction is internationally controversial. Especially western countries warned against it, because they fear too much influence of the three countries gathered in Sochi.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey does not want a new „humanitarian crisis“ to occur, either in the last major rebel stronghold of Idlib or in other regions of Syria. „I want to emphasize that we as Turkey do not allow a terror corridor along our southern border to emerge.“ Putin underlined that the Syrian government must regain control of the entire country.
Fight against terrorism as a goal
Like Iran, Russia is one of the main supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Turkey, on the other hand, supports the opposition. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani emphasized: „Our common goal is the consistent fight against terrorism.“ Putin believes that extremist Islamists in the Syrian province of Idlib must be „wiped out“. What is specifically meant by Putin left open.
The presidents of Russia and Turkey complained that there was little progress in forming a constitutional reform committee in Syria. „We do not yet have the speed we expected,“ Erdogan said. „I wish that this committee be formed as soon as possible so that the Syrian people can determine their own future.“ Putin criticized that the process would be sabotaged by the West. In the near future, however, a „final result“ will be available.
There have been several meetings of the three presidents, who discussed the future of Syria. The most recent encounter ended like most before without concrete results.
