Syrian President says Russia Never Asked Him to Leave Office
by VOA News July 14, 2016
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Russia has never asked him to relinquish power as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry heads to Moscow where he is expected to push for a revised cease-fire and roadmap to peace.
In an interview with NBC News, Assad said neither Russian Foreign Secretary Lavrov or President Vladimir Putin has asked him to give up power despite speculation that a backchannel between Russia and the United States would call for him to leave office.
"The Russian politics is not based on making deals," Assad said. "It is based on values."
The Syrian leader said that Russia has never "said a single word" regarding him leaving office.
"Only the Syrian people define who is going to the president," he said. "When to come and when to go."
Reports says Secretary Kerry, who is due in Moscow later Thursday, will discuss with Russia efforts to salvage a cessation of hostilities in Syria , as well as a possible joint military pact to target Islamic State militants in the country.
A U.S.-led coalition is carrying out air strikes against the extremists in Syria and Iraq and recent months have seen IS lose significant territory.
In the interview Assad dismissed the US efforts as "not serious".
"The reality is telling us that since the beginning of the American air strikes the terrorism has been expanding and pervading," Assad said. "It's only shrinked when the Russians intervened."
"That military ineffectiveness is a reflection of their political will."
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