Russian MFA Press Release
This statement was issued at 14:28 Moscow time, which was many hours ago, probably about the same time as I was writing my op/ed on the issue:
We are following the dramatic events in Syria with extreme concern. As a result of Bashar al-Assad's talks with a number of participants in the armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, he decided to leave the presidency and left the country, instructing to transfer power peacefully. Russia did not participate in these negotiations. At the same time, we appeal to all parties involved to renounce the use of violence and resolve all issues of governance through political means.
In this regard, the Russian Federation is in contact with all groups of the Syrian opposition. We call for respect for the opinions of all ethnic and religious forces in Syrian society, and we support efforts to establish an inclusive political process based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which was unanimously adopted. We hope that these approaches will be taken into account by the UN and all interested players, including in the context of implementing the initiative of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Syria Geir Pedersen to urgently organise inclusive intra-Syrian talks in Geneva.
At the same time, all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety of our citizens in Syria.
Russian military bases in Syria are on high alert. At the moment, there is no serious threat to their safety. [My Emphasis]
That provides a little more official info, although it’s clearly been known for most of Sunday here in the West. Interesting the condition of Russian military assets. But will the SAA without an official central government defend Syria from a Zionist invasion?
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I saw another commentator accuse Bashar of “cowardly fleeing.” This is unfair, especially coming from someone seated in a comfortable chair without any stake in the game. When the Syrian War started (I won’t call it a civil war), Bashar and his family were threatened with the Qaddafi treatment; he was offered gigantic bribes from the Gulf States; he was promised safe exile and freedom from prosecution and persecution, just to walk away. But he did not. He held steadfast and acted as a roll model for the country. This was not an easy decision or an easy task.
After failing to unseat him militarily, the termites have obviously been busily undermining the foundations of the Syrian state – bribing and subverting its military, its officer corps (not all obviously), its parliament, the backers of the regime – so when push came to shove, they all stepped aside in unison. The west loves to believe in the fairytale of regimes revolving around a single person (Stalin, Hitler, Nasrallah, etc) and not seeing them for what they are – a system hiding behind a front man. It is no wonder then that when this crisis came and Bashar looked behind him and saw nothing, he made the choice we all would have made. The toll on Bashar and his family of the war years must have been huge. His wife has cancer too, which cannot but have added to the strain. The judgements of people far from the action – who face no consequences from their mock bravado - are worthless.
It would seem that Russia, Iran and Syria's Bashar Assad have made a very clever clean exit from a potentially deadly and blood-soaked event.
Lavrov's comments at Doha were especially prescient when he reiterated the importance of implementing 'the rule of law'. In this instance he was referring to UN Security Council Resolution 2254, dated Dec 18, 2015 which set out a "Road Map for Peace in Syria".
Key elements include:
Ceasefire: Demands an immediate ceasefire by all parties, with a view to establishing a lasting peace.
Political Transition: Calls for a Syrian-led and owned political process, facilitated by the United Nations, to establish a new constitution and hold free and fair elections.
Inclusive Governance: Emphasizes the importance of an inclusive governance structure, representing all segments of Syrian society.
International Support: Requests the international community to provide humanitarian assistance and economic support to Syria, while also urging countries to take measures to prevent the flow of fighters and weapons into the country.
Key Provisions:
The Syrian Government and opposition groups are called upon to engage in UN-facilitated talks, with a view to achieving a political transition.
A nationwide ceasefire is to be established as soon as the parties concerned have taken initial steps towards a political transition.
The UN Secretary-General is requested to submit a report within one month on the implementation of the resolution.
The Security Council decides to remain seized of the matter and to review progress in implementing the resolution.
Impact:
Despite being adopted unanimously, Resolution 2254 has yet to be fully implemented. The Syrian conflict continues, and efforts to establish a political transition and ceasefire have been hindered by various factors, including the lack of agreement among key parties and the ongoing presence of foreign forces and fighters in the country.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/un-special-envoy-calls-for-urgent-political-talks-on-syria-to-implement-un-security-council-resolution/3417638
It would seem that by withdrawing from the country, Assad and his supporters in Russia and Iran have made the only legal and sensible manoeuvre. Any violence or destruction that occurs after today is clearly the responsibility of the actors on the ground, i.e., US occupational military, Kurdish factions, Turkish participants, Israeli military invaders and all their proxy jihadist mercenary employees (regardless of rebranding).
https://francesleader.substack.com/p/from-russia-with-love