When answering a question about filling the void in the Middle East left by the United States, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "it's not about trying to fill a vacuum, there's no vacuum. Russia has long been present in the region and pursued its pragmatic interests and is oriented to mutually beneficial and mutually trusting cooperation".
Commenting on Putin's surprise visit to Syria, as well as to Turkey and Egypt, on Monday, and responding to the question if it was caused by the desire to strengthen Moscow's positions in the Middle East, Peskov said that "it was about the purposeful and consistent work of the Russian side in line with the policy that has long been formulated by the Russian president," adding that this policy was aimed at restoring the Arab Republic, support its legitimate authorities and seek a political settlement to the crisis.
"In essence, the operation to save Syria and liberate the territory of Syria from terrorists has been completed, and there is no longer any need to use large-scale combat potential. There is no object for using this potential. So the supreme commander-in-chief decided to withdraw [the forces]," Peskov told reporters.
Asked whether Russia feared that if it withdrew most of its troops, a situation similar to the one in Palmyra, where terrorists earlier launched a counteroffensive, could arise, he said: "Here the decision was made by Supreme Commander-in-Chief Putin first. Let us say, today the situation differs much from the situation of the last months and recent years."
Russia's Military Withdrawal From Syria
On December 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria after over 2 years of an anti-terrorist aerial campaign conducted in the Arab Republic, with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu adding that the Russian military contingent had already begun to pullout from Syria, but the timetable of the withdrawal would be determined by the situation on the ground.
The US-led coalition reacted to an announcement, saying that this move didn't "affect US priorities in Syria", comprising elimination of the remaining pocket of Daesh in the Middle Euphrates River Valley together with their allies, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
READ MORE: Coalition to Continue to Support Partners in Syria Amid Russian Troops' Pullout
The US-led coalition's military campaign in Syria was repeatedly criticized by the Russian Defense Ministry, as, according to them, it was focused on impeding the activities of the Syrian government troops, including direct attacks on its positions in Deir ez-Zor. The ministry has also accused the coalition of carpet bombing of Raqqa and allowing Daesh terrorists to leave the city, as confirmed by the BBC broadcaster, and joining other jihadists near Deir ez-Zor.
Russia's Defense Ministry has also recently spoken of the US presence in the Syrian skies, calling it illegal, reporting on numerous incidents of near-misses between US and Russian planes in the region and in the area of the Euphrates connected with Washington's attempts to hinder Daesh's defeat, underlining that the credit for the victory against the terrorist group belongs first and foremost to the Syrian government and its troops.
READ MORE: Russian MoD: US-Led Coalition Destroyed Syrian Cities With Carpet Bombings
The Combined Joint Task Force — Operation Inherent Resolve's (CJTF-OIR)has commented on these reports by saying that the Russian military's assessment of US warplanes' actions in the Euphrates Valley were attempts to prevent the destruction of terrorists.
Russia launched its military operation in Syria on September 30, 2015, at the request of President Bashar Assad and has helped Damascus to clear the cities of Aleppo, Palmyra, as well as the Deir ez-Zor province and other regions. The US-lead coalition of more than 70 members, allied with the SDF forces, opposing the Syrian army, has been separately conducting a military operation in the country, conducting airstrikes against Daesh in Syria since 2014, with these actions not being authorized either by the government or the UN Security Council.
