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Bloomberg
President Vladimir Putin flew to Russia’s airbase in Syria and declared “victory†in its two-year military campaign in support of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, as he issued an order to begin withdrawing forces from the war-torn country. Putin’s unannounced stop, where he was greeted by Assad, began a whirlwind day of Middle East diplomacy on Monday that includes talks with Egyptian and Turkish leaders as he asserts Russia’s strengthened diplomatic position in the region, amid tensions between the US and many of its traditional allies.
“Our armed forces and military-industrial enterprises have demonstrated the growing might of Russia’s army and navy,†Putin told troops at the Khmeimim airbase, according to a Kremlin statement. Russia’s actions helped
“the people of Syria to preserve their statehood,†he said.
Putin’s triumphant appearance in Syria underlines his success in sidelining the US since he ordered Russian forces to intervene in the conflict in September 2015. The US under President Barack Obama pushed for Assad’s removal, while Putin’s willingness to back the Syrian leader with force against rebel groups helped reverse the course of a civil war that’s killed 400,000 people since it erupted in 2011. Amid anger among Arab leaders
t US President Donald Trump’s decision last week to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Putin is pressing his advantage to restore Russia’s Soviet-era leadership in the Middle East.
“Putin’s announcement of Russia’s partial withdrawal from Syria marks the victorious end of the military campaign, but not of the Russian military presence and political involvement in the region,†Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, said on Twitter.
The Russian leader is working with Turkey and Iran to enforce cease-fire zones in Syria as he seeks to revive long-stalled efforts to reach a peace settlement. Putin has reached out to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states to persuade opposition groups to join planned Russian-hosted peace talks with Assad.
Russia to resume flights to Cairo
Bloomberg
President Vladimir Putin said during a visit to Egypt that Russia will restore flights to Cairo, two years after it suspended air links when terrorists blew up a passenger jet.
“Egypt has done a lot to improve airport security†and Russia wants to sign an agreement soon on resuming flights, Putin said on Monday after meeting Egyp-tian counterpart Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo. While Russia will continue to forbid charter flights to the Red Sea resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, the decision marks the first easing of the ban since it was imposed after 224 people on board the Russian jet died in the October 2015 explosion over the Sinai Peninsula.
Cairo services may resume in February, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov told reporters, adding that more work is needed to ensure security for charter flights to the Egyptian resorts.