Putin doubts U.S. withdrawal of troops from Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin threw doubt on American troops’ withdrawal from Syria, citing Afghanistan.
Making the remarks Thursday in his annual press conference in Moscow, Putin said that he is not sure about the withdrawal of the American troops, citing the example of Afghanistan, where US troops have been deployed for over 17 years despite Washington’s consistent announcements of plans to leave the country.
He also elaborated that the US military presence in Syria was illegitimate.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Russian President regretted that the tendency to underestimate the threat of a nuclear war in the world is increasing.
“The danger of the situation escalating is being downplayed. It now seems to be impossible, something of not critical importance. But if something like that happens, that might lead to the collapse of the entire civilisation, and maybe even our planet.
“They [the US] are withdrawing from the INF Treaty. It’s hard to imagine what will happen next.
“We are not striving to have an advantage, we are striving to keep a proper balance. We can ensure safety, we know how to do that,” Sputnik quoted him as saying.
