"Let's hope, we'll see. I wouldn't say that there are no guarantees [that they will not have time to withdraw their forces within the 150-hour period stipulated by the memorandum]. An agreement has been reached between our presidents, which means that both presidents gave certain guarantees. Let's wait and see", Lavrentyev told reporters in Geneva.
Lavrentyev also commented on the US plans to protect the oil fields in northeastern Syria, saying that the area must be under control of the Syrian government. Earlier in the day, US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper said that Washington would not allow the Russian and Syrian forces access to the oil fields, ensuring instead that the Kurds will take control over the areas.
The deadline for the withdrawal of Kurdish forces from the 30-kilometer border zone in northeastern Syria, stipulated by the Russian-Turkish memorandum, expires at 6.00 pm Moscow time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, 28 October. Russia's president Vladimir Putin and his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan negotiated the agreement on 22 October during their meeting at the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
The motion comes amid Turkish Operation Peace Spring in northeastern Syria, launched on 9 October to establish a ''safe-zone'' and secure its border from the Kurdish militants and terrorists.