Russia to reduce presence in Syria by year's end

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Russia's military plans to reduce its involvement in Syria this year as it nears the completion of its goals there, the General Staff chief told journalists Thursday.

"Of course, there will be a decision taken by the commander in chief and the group (working in Syria) will be decreased," said Valery Gerasimov when asked whether Russia would be scaling back its forces in Syria by the end of the year.

"When we complete our tasks, military tasks. There is only a little left," Gerasimov said.

Asked about the extent of the pull-out, Gerasimov said it would be "extensive," though it was not clear if he was also referring to this year or a later date.

Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, arrives for the opening ceremony of the International Army Games 2017 in Alabino, outside Moscow, Russia, July 29, 2017. /Reuters Photo

He said some military will be left behind even after Moscow scales back its involvement in bombing and combat.

"We will leave the Center for Reconciliation, our two military bases (in Tartus and Hmeimim) and several necessary structures to maintain the state which has developed at this time," said Gerasimov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin this week hosted a round of diplomacy meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as well as the leaders of Turkey and Iran as he declared the Syrian crisis was entering "a new stage" after the country "has been saved as a state."

They also pledged to coordinate to reduce violence in Syria and provide help for the Syrians to restore the unity of the country.

President Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stood side-by-side expressing their support for a political settlement in Syria, and the US intends to maintain a military presence in Syria as the Washington Post reported the Trump administration is "expanding its goals in Syria beyond routing ISIL."

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also said last week that the US is not "just going to going to walk away right now until the Geneva Process has traction."

Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, and Hassan Rouhani of Iran meet in Sochi, Russia, Nov. 22, 2017. /Reuters Photo

"The enemy hasn’t declared that they’re done with the area yet, so we’ll keep fighting as long as they want to fight," Mattis said, describing a longer-term role for US troops long after the ISIL lose all of the territory they control.

In the meantime, Syria's opposition agreed early Friday to send a united delegation to next week's UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva on November 28, after they held a meeting in Riyadh.

Several rounds of talks hosted by the United Nations have failed to bring an end to the six-year war in Syria, which has killed more than 330,000 people since 2011 and forced millions away from their homes.

(With input from Reuters)