©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.
©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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