Putin: Russia Has No Plans for Pulling Troops out of Syria for Now
MOSCOW- Russia has no immediate plans for pulling its troops out of Syria, but it does not build long-term facilities there, either, President Vladimir Putin said in a question-and-answer session on Thursday.
“As for the presence of our military (in Syria – TASS), the military contingent issue is not simple at all. There are two sites where it is deployed. One is in the port of Tartus, and the other (aviation one), at Hmeymim,” Putin said, according to Itar Tass.
“We have no plans for pulling these units out for now. But let me draw your attention to the fact that I did not call these deployment sites ‘bases.’ We are not building long-term facilities there. If need be, we will be able to promptly withdraw our military personnel at no material costs,” he said.
Putin recalled that the Russian deployment sites were in Syria in accordance with a treaty with the Syrian government in full conformity with international law.
“Our military personnel are there for ensuring the interests of Russia in this crucial region of the world. And they will remain there as long as Russia finds it reasonable in accordance with our international commitments,” Putin said.
Unique combat experience
Putin also said that “the use of our armed forces in combat conditions is a unique experience and unique instrument of improvement. No exercise is like the use of military hardware in real combat,” Putin said in reply to a question from a resident of Karachay-Cherkessia.
“Yes, we do know that using the armed forces in combat implies losses. We shall never forget about these losses, and we shall never stop taking care of the families of our comrades who have not returned to us from Syrian soil,” Putin said.
He pointed out that Russian military personnel in Syria was on an important and noble mission of protecting the interests of Russia, because thousands of militants, including Russian and Central Asian natives, have gathered in Syria.
“First, it is better to eliminate them there than to confront them here weapons in hand. Second, our military effort has contributed to stabilization inside Syria,” Putin said.
He recalled that the Syrian army and Syrian government today controlled a territory accounting for more than 90% of the country’s population, Tass said.
“Large-scale combat operations, in particular, those involving the Russian armed forces, have come to an end. There is no need for them at all. Peace settlement is on the agenda. This is what we are working on today,” Putin.
Not a training range for Russian weapons
Putin said that Syria’s territory is not a training range for Russian weapons, but they are upgraded there in combat conditions.
“It is a truly invaluable experience, which I’ve already mentioned, of both the use of the Armed Forces and the use of cutting-edge weapons. I want to specify, when I am speaking about the most advanced weapons, it is not a firing range,” he said. “Syria is not a training range for the Russian weapons. However, we still employ weapons there and they are Russian weapons. As a result, modern strike systems, including the missile ones, have been upgraded.
In addition, many officers and generals have visited Syria’s combat zones, the president said.
“They have begun to understand what a present-day armed conflict looks like, how important are communications, intelligence and interaction between different units and formations and how important it is to secure operation of the space group, the air force and the ground force, including special operations,” Putin said.
“All this has allowed us to make another milestone step in modernizing our Armed Forces,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nationwide audience during his annual Direct Line question and answer session, during the course of which he regularly manages to answer a multitude of questions flooding in by telephone, text, email, social media, or live via television studios.
On Russia’s economy
President Putin believes that Russia is moving towards what he described a “stable white zone.”
“If we are to apply such categories as white, black and grey to see what zone we are in at the moment, we are moving towards the stable white zone,” Putin said.
The president has also guaranteed the growth of Russia’s economy in the short term.
On European security
It is time to sit down at the negotiating table and draw up a modern scheme of European and international security, the Russian leader stressed.
“Time is ripe to sit down at the negotiating table and not only ponder over but also draw up modern and timely schemes of international and European security,” Putin noted.
Putin slammed the US pullout from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty as “an attempt to break strategic parity.”
“But we are responding to this. In my address [to the Federal Assembly] I spoke about this: modern armament systems, which have been developed and will be put into service, will certainly maintain this parity.”
“But we should understand this and think about it and find new ways for our cooperation, which meet modern realities,” he noted.
On Ukraine crisis
Putin urged Kiev to abide by the Minsk Accords, and not fan tensions ahead of the elections in Ukraine.
“What is the reason for doing this [increasing bombardments of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics] at a time when it is just possible to follow the Minsk Accords,” Putin said in reply to a question from author Zakhar Prilepin. “This is absurd from the standpoint of achieving the end result – restoring the country’s territorial integrity. The longer it continues this way, the worse it will be for Ukraine.”
National Interests and ‘Egotistical Methods’
Replying to a question about international pressure against Moscow, Putin explained that these accusations and sanctions are aimed at containing Russia’s development.
“Why is this being done? It’s because Russia is regarded as a threat, because they perceive Russia as a rival. I believe that this is an erroneous policy, because one should not try and contain anyone, including Russia, but foster cooperation, which would produce a beneficial effect for the global economy,” he said, according to Sputnik.
According to the president, the relations between Russia and the West will return to normal when the Western powers realize than sanctions and pressure do not work against Moscow.
“Yes, every country has its own interests, but they should not be advanced via egotistical political methods,” Putin said, adding that many of Russia’s partners are beginning to realize this.
He also noted that the need to get rid of the anti-Russian sanctions is already being publicly discussed in Europe.
Skripal case
Responding to a question about the alleged attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal, Putin stated that he doubts they were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent, and expressed hope that the UK would allow Russia access to the Skripals and to take part in the investigation.
“If, as Britain claims, a military-grade agent was used against these people, they would’ve died in a matter of minutes or seconds. Thankfully, that didn’t happen, which means that we’re dealing with something other than a military-grade agent,” Putin said.
What Prevents the ‘End of Civilization’
When asked whether a global conflict might break out, Putin quoted legendary physicist Albert Einstein, who once said that while he doesn’t know what weapons might be used to wage Third World War, “World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
As Putin said, “the understanding of the fact that World War III might become the end of the current civilization” should keep the world powers from rash and dangerous actions on the global arena.
“We need to sit at the negotiating table and not just contemplate but actually develop contemporary, up-to-date mechanisms of international and European security,” he said.
He also described the US’ withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty as “an attempt to break the strategic parity,” noting that the new weapons systems being adopted by the Russian military will help preserve this parity.
H.M