Why Russia May Be Wavering On Its Support For Bashar Al-Assad
On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry opened the door to the possibility that Russia might accept a Syria without Bashar Assad as president.
Asked on Ekho Moskovy radio station whether it is critical that Assad remain in power, spokeswoman Maria Zakharov said, "Absolutely not, we've never said that."
That's a big step for a country that has long insisted Assad is the person best poised to tackle the challenges Syria faces, like the stubborn and growing presence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Later Tuesday, Zakharov seemed to walk back her remarks, telling another outlet, "I can confirm that Russia's position on resolving the Syrian (crisis) has not changed."
"They went forward and they took a couple steps back," said CBS News Senior National Security Analyst Juan Zarate. "Sometimes these are unintended gaffes or reflections of maybe some internal conversations that don't reflect real strategy or a shift in policy. But with the Russians you've got to wonder if they were sending out a little bit of a trial balloon."
Zarate said that Zakharov's comments could help animate diplomatic efforts with the U.S. and Saudi Arabia in a way that gives Russia some power in the discussions.
"It also sends a signal to Assad: We're in control, we'll determine your fate," Zarate said. "Perhaps [the Russians] are dealing with some backroom problems they want to have addressed in Damascus."
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