Russian Ambassador to Lebanon: Withdrawing Our Troops from Syria Encouraged the Opposition to Come to the Negotiating Table

In a recent interview, Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin said: "With the decision [to withdraw Russian forces from Syria], we encouraged the other side, more than in the past, to come to the negotiating table. The good intentions of the Russians have become absolutely clear." The interview aired on the Lebanese OTV channel on March 15, 2016.

Alexander Zasypkin: With the decision [to withdraw Russian forces from Syria], we encouraged the other side, more than in the past, to come to the negotiating table. The good intentions of the Russians have become absolutely clear.

[…]

When President Putin made the decision to deploy the armed forces in Syria, he established several basic goals. The top priority was to improve the situation on the ground, and to improve the political situation, but not necessarily to complete all aspects of these missions. You could say that he wanted to create the suitable circumstances to move on, and this is indeed what happened. So the process will continue without interruption, and the goals are the same.

[…]