Putin orders Russian forces to pull out of Syria - FT.com

Встреча с Министром иностранных дел Сергеем Лавровым и Министром обороны Сергеем Шойгу.

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by Riber Hansson / Sydsvenskan (used by permission of Cagle Cartoons.com 2016)

Putin orders Russian forces to pull out of Syria

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Russian fighter jets and bombers are parked at Hemeimeem air base in Syria, Friday, March 4, 2016. Russian warplanes have mostly stayed on the ground since the Russian- and U.S.-brokered cease-fire has begun last weekend. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)©AP
Russian fighter jets at the Hemeimeem air base in Syria
Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered his armed forces to start pulling out of Syria on Tuesday after a six-month campaign, saying they had largely met their objectives and it was time to focus on peace talks.

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The announcement comes as external powers seek common ground for turning a tentative cessation of hostilities in the civil war into a political solution, efforts long hampered by Moscow’s support for Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad.
Russia’s military intervention, which began in September, changed the course of the Syrian conflict; before the Kremlin sent in its bombers, Mr Assad’s forces were losing ground to various armed rebel groups.
Russian air power was often deployed indiscriminately, according to Syrian activists, and in the early stages did not target Isis positions despite Moscow saying its mission was to destroy the jihadi group.
Speaking at a meeting with Sergei Shoigu, minister of defence, and Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, Mr Putin said his objectives had “overall been fulfilled,” adding: “Therefore I order the Ministry of Defence to start the pull-out of the basic part of our military group from the Syrian Arab Republic.”
The Russian announcement appeared to take much of the Obama administration by surprise. The state department declined to comment and said John Kerry, secretary of state, last spoke to Mr Lavrov on Thursday.
“We have seen reports that President Putin has announced a planned withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria. We expect to learn more about this in the coming hours,” a senior administration official said.
The Kremlin said the Russian military would retain a presence in Syria for flights to continue to monitor the ceasefire and ensure its implementation.
For Mr Putin, Russia’s intervention in Syria has been a means to reassert Moscow’s role as a power with a say in global affairs far beyond its shores. Critics of US president Barack Obama’s policy towards Syria say US inaction left a strategic void for the Kremlin to fill.
Anniversary: Five Years of Conflict in Syria...Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, October 20, 2015. REUTERS/Alexei Druzhinin/RIA Novosti/Kremlin ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. SEARCH 'FIVE YEARS SYRIA' FOR ALL IMAGES©Reuters
Russian president Vladimir Putin (R) meets Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in Moscow last year
Following Russia’s joint efforts with the US in brokering and monitoring the Syrian ceasefire, which Moscow has been playing up at home, Mr Putin can argue to a domestic audience that this mission has been fulfilled.
But Moscow’s announcement also throws a spotlight on Mr Assad. According to Russian and foreign officials familiar with Moscow’s Syria diplomacy, Russia has been frustrated that the Syrian president has not been more flexible in accommodating efforts at a political solution of the conflict.
Mr Putin said Russia’s announcement of a partial pullout would help bolster the chances of political progress.
“I hope that today’s decision will be a good signal for all conflicting parties,” he said. “I hope that this will considerably increase the level of trust between all parties of the Syrian settlement and contribute to a peaceful resolution of the Syrian issue.”

In depth


Western policymakers and strategists are trying to figure out what Vladimir Putin’s military goals are in Syria — and if he intends to help the Assad regime regain territory lost to opposition forces
The Kremlin said Mr Putin had discussed the cessation of hostilities in a telephone call with Mr Assadand both leaders had agreed that the ceasefire had helped “drastically reduce the scale of bloodletting in the country”. Mr Assad had expressed his hope for a swift start to a political process in the country, it said.
When Moscow started its military intervention in Syria last autumn, Russian politicians said they aimed it to last no longer than four months but the campaign was initially less successful than expected. However, since the beginning of this year, Russian bombardments helped Syrian government forces turn the tide and regain territory from armed rebels.
Mr Shoigu said the Russian intervention, which started on 30 September last year, had resulted in “annihilating” 2,000 militant Russian nationals in Syria. Mr Lavrov said Russia’s military campaign had helped create the conditions for a peace process in Syria.
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Putin Orders Start of Syria Withdrawal, Saying Goals Are Achieved

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MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Monday ordered the withdrawal of the “main part” of Russian forces in Syria, a surprise move that he said was justified by the “overall completion” of Moscow’s military mission in the war-ravaged country.
Mr. Putin’s order, reported by the state news media, came as the war in Syria was about to enter its sixth year and a United Nations mediator was trying to revive peace talks to stop the conflict, which has displaced millions and created a humanitarian catastrophe.
Russia has operated a naval facility on the Syrian coast since the Soviet period, but Mr. Putin’s order seemed to relate to warplanes operating from a new air base in Latakia that since September have carried out intensive bombing against rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. Mr. Putin said the withdrawal would not mean the closing of the Latakia base.
Since Russian warplanes began their campaign on Sept. 30, Mr. Assad has gained ground against rebel forces and headed off the risk that his regime, Russia’s closest ally in the Middle East, might swiftly collapse.
The partial cease-fire in Syria, which began Feb. 27, has proved more effective and durable than expected, significantly reducing the level of violence.
“I believe, that the tasks put before the defense ministry have been completed over all,” Mr. Putin told Defense Minister Sergei K. Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov at a meeting in the Kremlin on Monday evening. “Because of this, I have ordered that from tomorrow the main part of our military groups will begin their withdrawal from the Syrian Arab Republic.”
The Kremlin said Mr. Putin had telephoned the Syrian president to inform of the Russian withdrawal, but gave no details of Mr. Assad’s reaction to the move, saying only that he had expressed thanks for Russia’s help and had praised the “professionalism and heroism” of Russian servicemen.
“The leaders noted that the actions of the Russian air forces have allowed a significant turn in the fight against terrorists,” a statement on the Kremlin website said.
Mr. Putin’s announcement appeared to catch the United States and other Western countries by surprise.
Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said he had not seen reports of Russia possibly pulling out of Syria, but the Obama administration has frequently expressed frustration with Russia’s continued military support for Mr. Assad, whom the Americans have long insisted should step down.
“Obviously, we have talked about how Russia’s continued military intervention to prop up the Assad regime made the efforts to make a political transition increasingly more difficult,” Mr. Earnest said.
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Turkey Suspects Kurdish Separatists Behind Deadly Car Bombing in Ankara

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Turkish investigators suspect Kurdish separatists carried out a deadly car bombing in Ankara that killed at least 37 people in an attack that raised new fears that the country is heading into a destabilizing war.

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