Lavrov: The US again demanded the resignation of Bashar al-Assad
The US demands Assad’s resignation before unification in the fight against terrorism; Russia would hold free elections after unification.
As Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reported, providing new details about the talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry, the US is again demanding the resignation of President of Syria Bashar al-Assad, Interfax reports.
“John Kerry recently came. They [the USA] say that we can unite in the struggle against terrorism, but first we have to agree that Assad will be removed,” the Minister said.
According to Lavrov, the West is demanding Assad’s resignation because they believe the vast majority of Syria’s population does not support Assad.
Russia, in turn, is offering to restore order in the fight against terrorism and to hold free elections thereafter, but the West is stressing the importance of Assad’s immediate resignation without explaining their position, the Russian Minister says.
Earlier, The Financial Times wrote that Russian President Vladimir Putin asked Bashar al-Assad to step down from his post. But an “angry” Assad refused.
Just over a week ago, Russian long-range aviation resumed its bombardment of Syria.
Yesterday, the Russian Ministry of Defense published a video of its airstrikes.
Yesterday, new information appeared regarding the appointment of a new commander of a group of Russian troops in Syria who will have to solve the “issues of crucial importance related to the provision of assistance to the government forces.”
Moreover, The Wall Street Journal reported that, in Syria, a Russian aircraft struck a secret base used by elite US and British troops. The Pentagon considers the bombing of its base as part of Russia’s pressure campaign against the White House.