Putin: I will not call on Assad to leave

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow is ready to work with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to pave the way for political reform in Syria. Putin underscored that Moscow’s support for Assad is driven by fears that overthrowing him by force may lead war-torn Syria to slide into further chaos.

During his speech at the annual Economic Forum in St Petersburg, United States, Putin criticised US policy toward his country, stressing that no one can dictate ultimatums to Russia and warning of the consequences of the outbreak of a new “cold war”.

He expressed hope that Iran and world powers will reach a final agreement soon on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

“We will not be able to do something the Syrian people do not want. We are ready for dialogue with President [Bashar Al-Assad] so as to pave the way for political reform, with what can be called an objective opposition, and put an end to military confrontation,” he said.

But the Russian president warned against any attempts at a coup that could lead the country to descend into the situation that Libya or Iraq has reached. He noted that Moscow does not want developments in Syria to reach such a situation, which is the reason why Russia supports Assad.