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UP FRONT A3
Thursday 22 October 2015
Assad-Putin meeting signals
new push to end Syria crisis
NATALIYA VASILYEVA to shed light on their ulti- Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hand with Syria President Bashar Assad in the Krem-
ALBERT AJI mate strategy. lin in Moscow, Russia. Assad has traveled to Moscow in his first known trip abroad since the war
Associated Press In a statement, Putin said broke out in Syria in 2011 to meet his strongest ally Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Syrian and Rus-
MOSCOW (AP) — Bashar that along with fighting mili- sian media reported Wednesday.
Assad’s surprise meeting tants, Moscow believes that
with Vladimir Putin could “a long-term settlement (Alexei Druzhinin, RIA-Novosti / via AP)
signal that Russia ultimately can only be achieved as
seeks a political settlement part of a political process dependent Russian military sense that the West sees it. and join him, and that is
after weeks of heavy air- with the participation of all analyst. “There will be no The opposition must surren- going to be the political
strikes in Syria. But the terms political forces, ethnic and political settlement in the der and stop fighting Assad solution.”q
of such an arrangement religious groups.”
are uncertain, and ques- In separate comments
tions remain about wheth- posted on the Syrian presi-
er Moscow will seek the de- dency’s official Facebook
parture of its longtime ally page, Assad said the Rus-
or try for a power-sharing sian military operation in
agreement. Syria had helped to halt
In a further sign that a the spread of terrorism and
diplomatic push might that a political solution
be underway to end the could only come after that
four-year crisis, Russia an- threat was addressed.
nounced Wednesday that “Terrorism which we see
Foreign Minister Sergey spreading today could
Lavrov and U.S. Secretary have been more wide-
of State John Kerry had spread and more harmful
agreed to meet Friday in if it weren’t for your deci-
Vienna with their counter- sions and steps,” Assad told
parts from Saudi Arabia Putin in the remarks carried
and Turkey — both firm by Arab media. The threat
Assad critics. of terrorism, he said, “ob-
The Syrian president’s visit structs” any political solu-
to Moscow, his first known tion to the crisis.
trip abroad since war Yet how long Russia is will-
broke out in 2011, was an- ing to continue its expen-
nounced on Wednesday, sive and politically volatile
the morning after it hap- airstrikes is open to ques-
pened, and raised intense tion.
speculation about the two “Putin is not going to fight
leaders’ motives — and a there forever,” said analyst
strong response from Wash- Dmitry Trenin of the Mos-
ington. cow Carnegie Center.
“We view the red-carpet The Russian leader “needs
welcome for Assad, who a quick result after which
has used chemical weap- he can announce a Rus-
ons against his own peo- sian military success,” said
ple, at odds with the stated Trenin, suggesting Russia
goal by the Russians for a would then put “the bur-
political transition in Syria,” den of the war” on Iran
said White House spokes- and Hezbollah.
man Eric Schultz. “For Putin, it’s important
If nothing else, it under- now to act not only as a
scored how emboldened military victor but as a po-
the embattled Syrian lead- litical peacekeeper as
er has become in the wake well,” Trenin said. “Putin is
of the Russian airstrikes that perfectly aware of the fact
began on Sept. 30 and that Assad is going to have
Iran’s deployment of hun- to hand over power or di-
dreds of ground forces to vide it. The Syria that exist-
fight alongside Syrian gov- ed before 2011 cannot be
ernment troops. restored.”
Russia says it is targeting Others, however, said that
militants, especially those in welcoming Assad, Putin
of the extremist Islamic was signaling that Russia
State group. But critics, in- would be uncompromis-
cluding the U.S., say Mos- ing about Assad staying in
cow’s military intervention power.
props up Assad and is likely “It’s a serious statement
to fan the violence. meaning that Russia will
The oblique references continue to support Assad
Wednesday by both lead- to the bitter end,” said
ers to their meeting did little Pavel Felgenhauer, an in-
