WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Leandra Bernstein — Earlier in the day, two Russian airgroups departed from Syria, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Monday orders to significantly withdraw from the country after accomplishing their objectives.
"[Russia] stepped into a vacuum, they changed the dynamic in a large way, which is very disappointing," Corker said on Tuesday.
Corker explained that from a US perspective "we would love to have them less involved," citing alleged incidents of Russian airstrikes targeting US-supported Syrian rebels. However, the decision to withdraw "is being done after they have really changed the dynamic on the ground in Syria itself."
Russia began its anti-terrorist military campaign in Syria on September 30 at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The United States has been engaged in military actions against the Daesh militant group, which is prohibited in both Russia and the United States, in Syria since 2014. US intelligence began training Syrian government opposition fighters since the outset of the country’s civil war in 2011.
