WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States does not demand that Russian troops leave Syria as a condition for a political solution to the conflict in the latter, as Russo-Syrian military ties date back to the pre-war era, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joel Rayburn said in a congressional hearing on Wednesday.
Rayburn explained that the US formula for political settlement calls for the withdrawal of foreign forces that arrived in Syria in 2011 or later, while Russia has had a naval base in the Syrian city of Tartus since the Cold War.
Rayburn added that it will be up to a future Syrian government and the Syrian people to decide on their foreign relations, and the United States “[relies] on them to do that.”
Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting against numerous armed opposition groups and militant and terrorist organizations. Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is a guarantor of the ceasefire regime in Syria. Supported by Iran and Russia, Syrian government troops have regained control over most of the country, and now Damascus is focusing on post-war reconstruction.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
