Thursday, December 20, 2012

Putin #Russia isn’t wedded to #Syria Assad, main goal is to end the civil war


Putin Says Russia Not Wedded to Assad, Wants End to Strife 
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8:07 AM - 20 Dec 12 · Details

Putin Says Russia Not Wedded to Assad, Wants End to Strife

By Henry Meyer on December 20, 2012
 
    Russia isn’t wedded to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and its main goal is to end the civil war in the country, President Vladimir Putin said.
    The opposing sides will fall short of outright military victory, underlining the need for an accord, Putin told hundreds of journalists today at a Moscow news conference.
    “We aren’t concerned about Assad’s fate, we understand that the same family has been in power for 40 years and changes are obviously needed,” Putin said.
    Russia has supported Assad throughout the 21-month Syrian conflict, maintaining weapons supplies and giving political support by blocking the West’s demands for action through the United Nations Security Council. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said last week that Assad is losing control and may be overthrown by the opposition, in the country’s first official acknowledgment that the Syrian leader’s days may be numbered.
    Putin also criticized the U.S. today over the NATO-led overthrow of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, which he said unleashed instability. Russia wants to avoid a similar outcome in other countries, he said.
    Putin’s predecessor as president, Dmitry Medvedev, last year didn’t block UN approval for the Western military campaign in Libya, which the Russian leader has branded a “crusade.”
    To contact the reporter on this story: Henry Meyer in Moscow at hmeyer4@bloomberg.net
    To contact the editor responsible for this story: Balazs Penz at bpenz@bloomberg.net
    Posted by Robby Ball at 4:11 AM