Russia planes return from Syria as peace talks enter second day

The first of Moscow's warplanes landed back in Russia from Syria on Tuesday at the start of a surprise withdrawal that diplomats hope will boost a new round of peace talks by pressuring the Damascus regime, reports AFP from Moscow. UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura described the pullout as a "significant development" for the talks that began in Geneva on Monday in the latest push to end the five-year conflict, but Western leaders were more cautious.
"We hope (this) will have a positive impact on the progress of the negotiations," de Mistura said in a statement. President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the "main part" of his forces out of the war-torn nation but the Kremlin denied it was trying to pressure its long-time ally President Bashar al-Assad. Putin said Monday that Moscow's military goal had been "on the whole" completed some five-and-a-half months and 9,000 combat sorties after the Kremlin launched its bombing campaign in support of Assad.

Russia planes return from Syria as peace talks enter second day

The first of Moscows warplanes landed back in Russia from Syria on Tuesday at the start of a surprise withdrawal that diplomats hope will boost a new round of peace talks by pressuring the Damascus regime, reports AFP from Moscow. UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura described the pullout as a significant development for the talks that began in Geneva on Monday in the latest push to end the five-year conflict, but Western leaders were more cautious. We hope (this) will have a positive impact on the progress of the negotiations, de Mistura said in a statement. President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the main part of his forces out of the war-torn nation but the Kremlin denied it was trying to pressure its long-time ally President Bashar al-Assad. Putin said Monday that Moscows military goal had been on the whole completed some five-and-a-half months and 9,000 combat sorties after the Kremlin launched its bombing campaign in support of Assad.