ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, told reporters on Wednesday the Syrian regime must take control of the country’s northern provinces.
Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war in 2015 on the side of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Lavrov’s comments come as Turkey sets out plans to create a “safe zone” along its border with northern Syria. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, announced the plan following a phone call on Monday with his US counterpart Donald Trump.
The US announced in December it will soon withdraw its 2,000 troops stationed in northern Syria, where they are supporting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against ISIS.
The Kurds, who created an autonomous region in territories they liberated from ISIS, fear Turkey will attack them once the US withdraws.
Russian military police and regime forces are already patrolling in the northern city of Manbij.
Last updated 2.11 pm
“We are convinced that the best and only solution is the transfer of these territories under the control of the Syrian government, and of Syrian security forces and administrative structures,” Lavrov said during his annual press briefing in the Russian capital Moscow.
Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war in 2015 on the side of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
"We welcome and support contacts that have now begun between Kurdish representatives and Syrian authorities so they can return to their lives under a single government without outside interference," said Lavrov.
"The Syrian settlement is progressing, though of course more slowly than we would like. The fight against terrorism must be completed. Now the main hotbed of terrorism is Idlib."
Lavrov’s comments come as Turkey sets out plans to create a “safe zone” along its border with northern Syria. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, announced the plan following a phone call on Monday with his US counterpart Donald Trump.
The US announced in December it will soon withdraw its 2,000 troops stationed in northern Syria, where they are supporting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against ISIS.
The Kurds, who created an autonomous region in territories they liberated from ISIS, fear Turkey will attack them once the US withdraws.
Russian military police and regime forces are already patrolling in the northern city of Manbij.
Last updated 2.11 pm
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