Russian withdrawal may end war in Syria

The Syrian opposition said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move to draw down his forces in their country could pave the way for an end to five years of fighting, although they said Moscow had not informed them of the decision.

Spokesman Salim al-Muslat told reporters that the Russian withdrawal could also end Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad’s “dictatorship and his crimes”.

But Russia will be judged by its actions, following Putin’s surprise announcement, British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said.

There was no independent evidence that the withdrawal had begun, Hammond said, and it was “not terribly reassuring” that Russia’s defence ministry had indicated air strikes could continue against “terrorists”, a term Moscow has used to include groups the West views as moderate opposition forces.

Russia blindsided world powers by announcing that “the main part” of its forces in Syria would start to withdraw. It was unclear what the withdrawal would mean for the outcome of the war or for the future of Assad, who has regained ground from rebels with the help of heavy Russian air strikes.

US-Russian co-operation had already prompted a lull in the war, via a “cessation of hostilities agreement” that led to a sharp decline in fighting between rebels and the government in western Syria.

Muslat said that “what has kept Assad in power is the presence of Russian forces”.

Talks in Geneva are part of a diplomatic push, launched with US-Russian support, to end a war that has killed 250,000 people, created the world’s worst refugee crisis, and prompted the rise of Islamic State militants.

The Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee’s main demand, when it began its first formal talks with a UN special envoy, was for the creation of an interim government without Assad, under a UN-sponsored road map, Muslat said.

Britain’s foreign secretary sounded a cautious note, telling MPs that Russia had previously claimed it was withdrawing from the Ukraine, when it was actually just a routine rotation of troops.

It was unclear what Mr Putin’s intentions were, as he is a “very difficult partner”, the foreign secretary added.

Prime Minister David Cameron’s spokeswoman said that the withdrawal would be “welcome”.

Analysis: 13