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Putin: Syria ceasefire deal 'complicated' but only way out

Friday, 26 February 2016 7:13 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 27 February 2016 12:21 PM ]

Russian President Vladimir Putin (AFP Photo)

President Vladimir Putin of Russia said Friday that the ceasefire deal that seeks to end the conflict in Syria is "complicated" but it is the only way out.

"We understand fully and take into account that this will be a complicated, and maybe even contradictory, process of reconciliation, but there is no other way," Putin said in a televised speech broadcast in Moscow.

"Today by midday Damascus time all warring sides in Syria had to confirm to us or to our American partners their agreement to adhere to a ceasefire," said the Russian president.

The foreign-sponsored conflict in Syria, which flared in March 2011, has claimed the lives of some 470,000 people and left 1.9 million injured, according to the Syrian Center for Policy Research.

The comments by the Russian president come ahead of the scheduled start of a ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia. The cessation of hostilities is due to take effect at midnight Syria time (2200 GMT on Friday).

Putin confirmed that Moscow would "end hostilities against those armed groups that declare their readiness to observe the ceasefire."

The Russian president said, however, that the agreement excludes the two major Takfiri terrorist groups, namely Daesh and the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra.

"I want to underline again that IS (Daesh), al-Nusra and other terrorist groups that have been designated as such by the United Nations Security Council are not included (in the ceasefire deal)."

"We will certainly continue our resolute combat against these groups," Putin stated.

Russia launched its campaign against terrorists in Syria on September 30, 2015, upon a request from the Damascus government. The Russian combat sorties have expedited the operations of Syrian forces to liberate areas under the control of militants.

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