Kremlin assesses possibility of further presence of Russian military in Syria

It is premature to discuss the possibility of further presence of Russian servicemen in Syria now, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on December 9.

"It is premature to talk about it yet. In any case, this is all a subject for discussion with those who will be in power in Syria. Now we see that such a period of transformation, extreme instability, so, of course, it will also take time and then it will require a serious conversation with those who will be in power," he said, answering a related question.

The Russian side is in contact on the situation in Syria with Turkey and other regional states, Peskov clarified. According to him, Moscow will continue this dialog and analysis of what is happening in the Arab Republic.

At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman commented on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement that the next two or three months will be important for peace, and Ankara acts on this basis.

As Peskov pointed out, Moscow does not know what steps and processes the Turkish leader had in mind, but the turbulent international situation requires special attention, including from the Russian Federation.

In the next Syria: what awaits the republic after extremists take over Damascus

The family of President Bashar al-Assad, who fled the country, has been received by Russian Federation

Earlier in the day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said that Russia would do everything possible to achieve sustainable and long-term peace in the Middle East.

The day before, on December 8, the Foreign Ministry reported that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after negotiations with the opposition, decided to leave the post of head of state and leave the country, instructing to carry out the transfer of power peacefully. Russia is in contact with the Syrian opposition and is taking measures for the safety of its citizens. It was later confirmed that Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow.

On the same day, the national coalition of revolutionary and opposition forces in Syria said it was working on the formation of a transitional authority. In turn, SAR Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali said that most of the Syrian government ministers remain in Damascus, and he himself is ready to cooperate with any elected leadership.

The situation in Syria has escalated as a result of a major attack by armed formations in Aleppo and Idlib, which began on November 28 and led to the Syrian army's retaliation against the militants.