Russian President Vladimir Putin Orders Russian Forces Out of Syria Monday March 14,2016

Russian President VladimirPutin orders to start Russian military pullout from Syria

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday  March 14,2016 ordered the withdrawal of the "main part" of Russian forces in Syria, a surprise move that reflected what he called the Kremlin's achievement of nearly all its objectives in the war-torn country.

 

Announcing his decision in a televised meeting with Russia’s foreign and defense ministries, Putin said the Russian air campaign has allowed Assad’s military to turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks.
“With the tasks set before the Defense Ministry and the military largely fulfilled, I’m ordering the Defense Minister to start the pullout of the main part of our group of forces in Syria, beginning tomorrow,” Putin said.

He didn’t specify how many planes and troops should be withdrawn. The number of Russian soldiers in Syria has not been revealed.

Perhaps the most urgent questions were how the move would affect the war's outcome and what it meant for President Bashar Assad of Syria, whose rule had been increasingly threatened by a string of military losses before Russian forces backed him up.

The Russian decision could signal a new confidence in Assad's stability or an effort to pressure him to negotiate with his political adversaries - or both.

Putin made his move at a particularly critical moment, as the upheaval in Syria enters its sixth year and a United Nations mediator in Geneva tries to revive peace talks to stop the war, which has displaced millions and created a humanitarian catastrophe.

A Russian military pullback will not leave Assad's forces completely alone, because he also has support from Iran and from Hezbollah in Lebanon. And the Kremlin made clear it was keeping its new air base in the coastal Mediterranean province of Latakia, in addition to the naval refueling station it has kept nearby in Tartus since Soviet times.