ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin confirmed their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence in a joint statement on Syria on Saturday, Kremlin said.
The two leaders agreed to maintain their existing de-confliction channels between their militaries in Syria to ensure the safety of their forces, and prevent dangerous incidents that involve their allied forces fighting against the ISIS group in the country.
The Kremlin and the White house said that they will continue their joint efforts in Syria in the war against the ISIS group until it is defeated.
The two leaders are in Vietnam to take part in the APEC summit.
The United States supports the Kurdish-led multiethnic Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the drive against ISIS who recently lost its capital Raqqa and the parts of the oil-rich Deir ez Zoor north of the country.
Russia supports the Syrian regime and its allied militia in their drive against other Syrian rebels and ISIS.
Both Russia and the United States and their Syrian partners are in a race to the Syrian border with Iraq, in particular al-Bukamal and Baghuz. The Syrian army declared they liberated al-Bukamal briefly before losing almost half it to an ISIS counterattack on Friday.
The joint statement stipulated that there was no military solution to the Syrian conflict and asked all Syrian parties to take part in the UN-sponsored General talks.
Senior officials from Syria and their Iranian allies have indicated that the Syrian army will “liberate” Raqqa and other areas that are under the control of the US-backed SDF forces.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said that their fight in the country is not only against “terrorism,” but also against those who try to waken or partition Syria.
Bouthaina Shaaban, a senior advisor to Assad, said that they consider the US and Turkish forces in Syria as “invaders” who will be “dealt with” in the near future.
She said the SDF should not invest too much into the US support saying that they must learn a lesson from the fate of fellow Kurds in Iraq where the US abandoned the Kurdistan Region as the Peshmerga forces lost territory to the Iraqi forces and their allied militia.
She also said that the Syrian regime will never negotiate on matters that concern the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Syrian state.
Russia is sponsoring the Astana talks which are seen by many as an alternative to the Geneva talks, and is expected to hold a conference in Russia’s Sochi inviting all Syrian groups, including the Kurds. No date has been set yet for the conference.
If held, and Russia insists on inviting of the Kurdish officials, it will be the first major invitation for the Kurdish authorities to attend an international event on Syria.
The Kurds have been excluded from the Geneva and Astana talks, mainly because of Turkish opposition who strongly oppose a Kurdish entity being formed on their doorsteps north and east of Syria.
Kurdish authorities in Syria have said they want a federal region within the borders of a unified Syria.
