Agencies, Moscow :
The planned U.S. withdrawal from Syria is fueling tensions between Russia and Turkey over control of a key region of the Middle Eastern country once American forces have left.
Russia is pressuring Turkey to agree to an offensive on Idlib, seized by militants linked to al-Qaeda last month, a senior Turkish official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. At the same time, the Kremlin is opposing a bid by Turkey to establish a buffer zone inside Syria to counter U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday indicated that Moscow’s patience is starting to run out over Idlib, saying it can’t accept “the endless existence of this terrorist nest.” Russia “‘will do everything to help the Syrian government and its armed forces to resolve issues concerning the liberation of their territory,” he said.
The subject is likely to dominate Syria talks on Thursday between President Vladimir Putin, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi. It’s their first meeting since U.S. President Donald Trump announced in December that he’ll pull out about 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, a move that would change the balance of forces on the ground.
Trump renewed his pledge last week in his State of the Union address even as domestic critics have urged him to avoid a “precipitous withdrawal” that may endanger Kurdish allies fighting against Islamic State in Syria. Russia, Turkey and Iran, which all have forces in Syria, are waiting to see if he’ll follow through on the commitment.
