Although the current level of relations between the United States and Russia is very low – a rather explosive one – Washington is continuing its interaction on Syria with Moscow,” Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev says.
Russian envoy admitted that Moscow had to consider the American presence in the country, so they are in contact with the US side to discuss various aspects of the Syrian settlement but added that Russia hopes that Americans realize they’ll have to leave Syria sooner or later and that their withdrawal should not look like the infamous pullout of Afghanistan, which could cause tectonic shifts.
Following a meeting of Syrian and Russian interagency coordinating headquarters on the return of refugees, both countries urged the US earlier to give up on the using the pressure of sanctions to settle the situation in contry.
Lavrentyev believes that the Biden administration has also realized that the policy of turning the heat way up is not working in Syria, where the situation can only be stabilized by providing humanitarian assistance.
He also noted that the US stance on Syria underwent some changes and became clearer with Biden in office, since previously the order of the day was the policy of maximum pressure on the coutry.
According to the Russian envoy, Trump’s administration was hoping to whip up civilian population’s discontent along with the regime change and the wave of protests, but the current administration has realized that’s not working.
Lavrentyev reiterated that the stabilization of Syria’s situation is possible through providing humanitarian assistance, underscoring that the international projects that are getting prepared should provide Syria with additional income.
Though he gave no specifics, the Russian envoy noted that the US – though only on paper as of yet- have already approved the gas delivery projects from Egypt to Lebanon via Syria as well as electric power from Jordan to Lebanon through Syria, arrangements that should bring certain income to Syria as the transit country.
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