“In our opinion, this decision is important in that it can promote a comprehensive settlement of the situation. We have pointed out more than once that the US occupation of a considerable part of Syrian territory is a major obstacle to such a settlement,” Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters on Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump shocked his allies and critics when he declared ISIS defeated in Syria and he was bringing American troops home.
He subsequently said the US withdrawal would be coordinated with Turkey, who would take over the reins of the war on ISIS.
“The reasons for and causes of this decision remain unclear, as does a timeframe for the pull-out of US troops,” said Zakharova. She also questioned who will take control of territories the Americans are withdrawing from.
“Since the declared actions will change US strategy, we would like to understand exactly what they have in mind,” she said.
Russia, a stalwart ally of Damascus, would like to see the regime return to the quarter of the country that is controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), including Kurdish Rojava.
Rumours are swirling that a possible deal is in the works between Qamishli, the capital of the self-autonomous region, and Damascus.
The Kurdish groups have largely maintained an uneasy peace with Damascus throughout the country’s years of civil war. They opened negotiations with the regime in the summer, but the talks went nowhere.
Turkey is prioritizing a military campaign against the Kurdish region over the war on ISIS. Turkish troops and their allied Syrian militias are building up along the frontier between them and the Kurds near the Euphrates River and the city of Manbij.
Ankara is sending a delegation to Moscow. The group, including Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin, and Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, are expected to arrive in the Russian capital on Saturday.
Moscow will also host a meeting of the Astana guarantors – Turkey, Iran, and Russia – in the near future.
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