Russian FM: US Troops Withdrawal Enables Outlook for Syria Political Settlement

KHANTY-MANSIYSK (Sputnik) - The decision of the United States to withdraw its troops from Syria creates a real possibility for a political settlement in the crisis-torn Arab Republic, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

"A very important story that can follow this decision is a real prospect for a political settlement," Zakharova said.

She recalled that US troops had been present in Syria illegally, without a corresponding invitation from the government of the republic and without any resolutions of the UN Security Council.

Zakharova also stressed that with the withdrawal of US troops, places like At-Tanf and Rukban, which were located in the zone of deployment of the occupying troops and in the zone of support for the militants, regain hope and prospect for a peaceful settlement.

"Hope that these points on the map of Syria will follow the path of Aleppo and many other cities and locations that have already returned to peaceful life. While the US troops were there, there was no such hope," she added.

On Tuesday, the White House announced removal of all troops deployed in Syria, and the Pentagon said they have already started the process of returning US servicemen home. All State Department staff will evacuate from Syria within 24 hours, and the armed forces will be withdrawn in a period of 60 to 100 days, according to media reports.

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yria has been in a state of conflict since 2011, with numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations fighting the Syrian Arab Army in an attempt to topple the government of Bashar Assad. Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is one of the guarantor states of the Syrian ceasefire.

The US-led coalition of more than 70 countries is conducting military operations against the Daesh terrorist group in Syria and Iraq. The coalition's operations in Iraq are conducted in cooperation with the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorized by the Syrian government or the UN Security Council.