Russia Withdraws from Syria in an Attempt at Truce

For the first time ever since 6 years of this horrific regime that started in Syria, there seems to be hope on the horizon. Russia is withdrawing its military from Syria in an attempt to build truce and talk peace.

General Valery Gerasimov said Russia’s Naval fleet led by the aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, which has been operating in the Mediterranean off the Syrian coast, would be the first to return from Syria. “In accordance with the decision of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, (President) Vladimir Putin, the Russian Defence Ministry is beginning to reduce its armed forces deployment in Syria,”  the general said.

The Russian Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov underway in the Mediterranean Sea.

The fleet had begun its airstrike since last November but lost two of its fighter planes to the Mediterranean Sea. Russia had started boosting its military backup in Syria since September 2015 and lent a supporting hand to the President Bashar al Assad’s government, helping kill almost 2,000 rebel fighters, including 17 rebel leaders of the ISIS. But as the crisis rises, world leaders are now taking steps of caution and calling for a truce so that “rapid, safe and unhindered” delivery of humanitarian aid can be provided throughout the country.

“I hope today’s decision will be a good signal for all conflicting parties. I hope it will sizeably increase trust of all participants in the process,” said Russian President Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday. Although he hasn’t disclosed when exactly the troops will be coming home, he has stated that it is only the air warfare personnel which will take a step back. Russia will maintain its airbase and a naval facility in Syria. Estimations also put around 3,000 to 6,000 military personnel on the ground in the war zone.

Since the start of peace negotiations in Switzerland last Monday, Putin has come forward to declare an official end to the five and a half month Russian air campaign. The world is now looking forward to a peace proposition meeting that will take place in late January this year between Russia, Turkey and Iran at Kazakhstan’s Capital Astana.