Moscow prevented the creation of a terrorist hotbed ten years ago, the president has said
Claims that Russia is weakened by the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad are “greatly exaggerated,” President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, paraphrasing a quote by Mark Twain.
The government in Damascus fell earlier this month, after government forces and Iran-backed militias declined to protect it from advancing armed groups. Moscow has provided asylum to Assad and his family.
During Putin’s marathon Q&A session on Thursday, NBC correspondent Keir Simmons confronted Putin, claiming that the recent development, as well as the cost of the Ukraine conflict, have left him the “weaker leader” ahead of likely interactions with US President-elect Donald Trump. The premise is false, the Russian leader responded.
“You and the people who pay your salary in the US would very much like to see Russia in a weakened state,” he said. “I believe Russia has become much stronger over the past two to three years.”
Russia’s invigorated defense industry and experience gained by its troops have made the country’s armed forces the best in the world in terms of war preparedness, Putin stated. As for Assad’s fall, it was not a defeat of Russia, contrary to what Simmons suggested, he added.
Moscow intervened in Syria almost ten years ago when the country risked becoming a hotbed for terrorism, he said. Anti-government groups have since “undergone internal transformation,” as evidenced by the willingness of Western nations to engage with them, he said, arguing that the core Russian objective in Syria was achieved.
The Russian government is considering the future of its two military bases in Syria, according to the president, and Khmeimim Airbase is currently being used to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to Syria.
The Russian military never had ground forces deployed in Syria and had withdrawn its special operations forces from the region, Putin noted. Its role in the recent crisis was highly limited and included helping Iran airlift 4,000 of its troops out of Syria to Tehran, he went on to say.
“Since you are American, I’d like to bring up the world-famous man and writer who once said: ‘The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated’. And if we meet with President-elect Trump, I am sure we’ll find things to discuss,” Putin said.
