US Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison expressed cautious optimism over Russia's "new role" in Syria after it agreed to deploy its forces near the border with Turkey, raising hopes for a sustained ceasefire in the region
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2019) US Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison expressed cautious optimism over Russia's "new role" in Syria after it agreed to deploy its forces near the border with Turkey, raising hopes for a sustained ceasefire in the region.
"I think we will be hopeful and watchful about now this new role that Russia seems to be trying to play and hope for the best but prepare in case it doesn't come into play," Hutchison said.�
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, she admitted that Russia might be "beginning to try to be a stabilizing force as opposed to what has happened in the past few years" when it was criticized for supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad.�
"We need to watch very carefully if Russia is turning a corner to begin to try to be a stabilizing force as opposed to what has happened in the past few years with Russia's support of Syria when Assad was murdering its own people and we didn't see Russia stepping in to tell Assad that his Russian support would cease if Assad committed those kinds of crimes," she added.
On October 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the launch of Operation Peace Spring in northeast Syria to clear the border area of Kurdish People's Protection units and create a safe zone for the relocation of Syrian refugees currently residing in Turkey.
As part of a deal agreed to on Tuesday between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian military police and Syrian forces will patrol the area along the Syrian border with Turkey and ensure the absence of any forces that Turkey deems as terrorists.
