Russia, which has urged Syrian leader Bashar Assad to be "constructive" during the latest round of peace talks, should begin the pullout on Tuesday, Putin said.
President Vladimir Putin ordered the "main part" of Russia's military forces to begin withdrawing from Syria, saying it's completed its primary objectives after an almost six-month campaign.
Russia, which has urged Syrian leader Bashar Assad to be "constructive" during the latest round of peace talks, should begin the pullout on Tuesday, Putin said. A Russian air base and a naval facility will continue to function, he said in Moscow. Assad has been informed of the withdrawal, said Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.
"The effective work of our military created the conditions for the beginning the peace process," Putin said during talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. "I hope today's decision will be a good signal to all the conflicting sides. I hope this will significantly increase the level of confidence of all participants of the settlement process in Syria and will contribute to the solution of the Syrian issue through peaceful means."
Russia's intervention in Syria swung the war in favor of Assad's forces, which made major advances in strategically important regions since September. The conflict, which has killed a quarter-million people since 2011, has sparked a refugee exodus that's roiling European nations and allowed Islamic State militants a bastion from which to expand their regional influence and plot terrorist attacks. Russia and the U.S. last month brokered a partial cease-fire in an effort to kickstart the stalled peace process.
"Putin is just sending a message herein that he is 'in control' in Syria, and he can force Assad to the negotiating table, if or when he so wishes," Tim Ash, head of emerging-market strategy at Nomura in London, said by email. Putin is also trying "to reinforce on the West that Russia can brings lots of 'solutions' in Syria, and all this still seems to be a Russian negotiating ploy with the West."
White House spokesman Josh Earnest declined to comment on the Russian pullout, saying he hadn't seen the report. He didn't rule out a call between Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama.
United Nations-led peace talks resumed Monday in Geneva, with few signs that Assad or the opposition are willing to make the major compromises needed to turn the more than two-week-old cease-fire into lasting peace. Putin instructed Lavrov to boost the nation's role in the peace process.
The U.N.'s special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, called on the international community to apply "maximum pressure" on the two sides to achieve a peace deal after holding his first meeting with the government delegation on Monday. He's due to have talks with the opposition on Tuesday.
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