Putin claims Syrian war 'wrapping up' in talks with Assad
November 21, 2017
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad, the Kremlin has revealed. Assad thanked Russia for its support in "fighting terrorism in Syria."
Image: Reuters/Sputnik/M. Klimentyev
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Putin meets with Assad in Sochi
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Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad in the Russian resort of Sochi, the Kremlin said in a statement on Tuesday. The two leaders discussed the fight against terrorism and the prospects of a rapid political solution to the ongoing civil war in Syria.
"On November 20 talks took place between the president of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the president of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar Assad, who was in Russia on a working visit," a Kremlin statement said.
What was said at the meeting?
Syrian and Russian news agencies confirmed the meeting took place, reporting that both leaders agreed the military operations in Syria were "coming to an end." According to reports and statements issued by the Kremlin:
Putin congratulated Assad on his "fight against terrorism," stressing that the Syrian people "are approaching victory over terrorists"
The Russian leader claimed there was still a long way to go for complete victory over terrorists, but that "as far as our joint work in Syria is concerned, this military operation is indeed wrapping up"
The Kremlin stressed the meeting was to coordinate Putin's peace talks Wednesday with Iranian and Turkish leaders
Assad said the situation on the ground now allowed for a political process and that Syria "counts on the support of Russia to ensure the non-interference of outside players in that process."
Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
Syria's civil war erupted out of the Arab Spring protests that swept much of the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. The conflict has since drawn in multiple warring factions from around the world.
Image: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images
War with no end
Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.
Image: picture alliance/abaca/A. Al-Bushy
The dictator
Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.
Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. Turkey has launched multiple military offensives targeting Kurdish militias.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Pitarakis
The eastern guardian
The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Tass/M. Metzel
The western allies
A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/A.Brandon
The rebels
The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.
Image: Reuters
The resistance
Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.
Image: Getty Images/A. Sik
The new jihadists
"Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
The old jihadists
IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Nusra Front on Twitter
The Persian shadow
Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country.
Image: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images
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Why this is significant: Both leaders are in agreement that the main focus in Syria should now switch from the battlefield to the negotiating table. The bloody conflict has been raging in Syria since 2011. An uprising that turned into a civil war has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced millions of citizens.
According to Russian state news agency SANA, the meeting also provided Putin and Assad the opportunity to plan ahead for Thursday's Syria summit in Sochi, where Putin is set to discuss the crisis with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran's Hassan Rouhani. Russia and Iran have been Assad's main backers in the Syria conflict, while Turkey has supported the opposition forces.
What is the state of the Syrian opposition? Syrian opposition forces, meanwhile, are in a state of disarray, as the US and its allies have come to terms with the notion of a Syrian ceasefire deal that doesn't demand Assad's immediate removal from power.
On Monday, just two days before delegates from the opposition were due to meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss a unified position ahead of upcoming peace talks, chief negotiator Riyad Hijab resigned in protest to the current state of affairs. Foreign powers were carving up Syria and brokering side deals aimed at "prolonging the life of Bashar Assad's regime," Hijab claimed.
What happens next? The Kremlin reported that a Russian special envoy will oversee a meeting of Syrian opposition in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and Thursday. Putin, for his part, said he planned to telephone the Qatari Emir, US President Donald Trump and regional leaders in the coming days.
Sochi will also host the Syria summit on Wednesday between Russia, Iran and Turkey.
Moscow, Ankara, and Tehran are also sponsoring separate ceasefire talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, the most recent of which took place at the beginning of this month.
UN-sponsored peace talks are due to resume in Geneva next week.
