Russia to Continue fight against terrorism, including in Syria, if Necessary: Putin

Russia will continue its fight against terrorism, including within Syrian territory, if it is necessary, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

The president reiterated that even if the Russian armed forces continues anti-terrorism activities in Syria, the scale of its engagement would be much smaller than before.

On December 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria after conducting an anti-terrorist aerial campaign for over two years.

The decision on the pullout came after Putin announced the complete destruction of Daesh jihadists along both banks of the Euphrates River, stressing that the Syrian and Russian operation in the area ended with the complete “routing of the terrorists.”

On the Situation in Afghanistan

While speaking about Afghanistan, the Russian president said that the situation in the country had deteriorated after US troops withdrew from the region, adding that “though Russia had complicated relations with the US, we should regard the situation in Afghanistan objectively.”

The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001, following the 9/11 terror attacks and has maintained a troop presence in the Central Asian nation ever since. Former US President Barack Obama supported the idea of the full withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by the end of his term in office in 2016.

Source: Sputnik