Although Russian President Vladimir Putin has tried to couch the withdrawal in terms of Russia having largely achieved its objects, there is no doubt that worldwide and local pressure from Syria played a great part in the decision.
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This arrangement, which two senior Kurdish officials said they backed, would be sure to alarm neighbouring Turkey, which fears growing Kurdish sway in Syria is fuelling separatism among its own Kurdish minority, reported Reuters.
“No one has the right to violate the airspace of a sovereign country, Syria”, he said.
A statement issued by the Syrian Foreign Ministry says the declaration made in the town of Rmeilan in Syria’s Hassakeh province Thursday is unconstitutional and worthless.
At an event at the Kremlin honoring officers who served in Syria, Putin said Russia’s actions demonstrated “leadership, will and responsibility” while fighting what he called “enemies of civilization”.
The Syrian government delegation headed by Bashar al-Jaafari attended a news conference in Geneva on Wednesday.
“We have created an effective mechanism for prevention of air incidents with the Americans, but all our partners have been warned that we would use our air defense systems against any target that we considered a threat to the Russian troops”, Putin said.
The spokesman for the main Syrian opposition delegation at the indirect peace talks in Geneva has accused the Damascus government of “procrastinating” and not engaging fully in the negotiations. Russian Federation will also continue to boost the Syrian military with weapons, training and operational guidance, Putin added.
It is estimated that there are dozens of Russian aircraft and several thousand troops in Syria.
A Syrian government delegation is meeting with the United Nations special envoy for Syria for the second time since indirect peace talks resumed this week in Geneva.
Putin praised the Syrian president for what he described as his readiness to contribute to a peaceful settlement. The Islamic State group considers such relics promote idolatry.
Putin said he hoped the withdrawal decision would provide a “good signal” for all the warring sides in the conflict.
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declared his country’s Syria mission a resounding success, but stressed Russian Federation would continue to support the Syrian government and could build up its military presence in the region again within hours if necessary.
Pro-Kremlin observers hailed the five-and-a-half-month aerial campaign in Syria which they said helped Putin break out of worldwide isolation over Ukraine and assert Russia’s interests in the Middle East.
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He says that Russian Federation helped “in many places” where convoys had problems getting through.
