Assad Says Ready For Ceasefire Provided Terrorists Don’t Exploit It

Settlement of the Syrian conflict depends not only on the declaration of ceasefire, Syria’s President Bashar Assad said in an interview the daily El Pais published on Saturday.

“It’s about preventing other countries, especially Turkey, from sending more recruits, more terrorists, more armaments, or any kind of logistical support to those terrorists”, according to a transcript on the daily’s website.

Reiterating that fighting terrorists in Syria is protecting Russia’s national interests, Putin said the Russian army must “always be ready to promptly and efficiently respond to any potential threat, to stop any provocation and aggressive actions”.

On Monday the Syrian President said on state TV that any ceasefire in his war-torn country “doesn’t mean each party will stop using weapons”.

Jordan is one of a handful of Arab states that have taken part in a U.S.-led air campaign against IS, which a year ago seized swaths of Iraq and Syria.

But, the truce never happened and intense fighting continued, including a large Russian-backed government offensive near the Turkish border – which the Kremlin claims was to eliminate terrorists.

Several attempts to agree a truce have failed in recent months.

The truce would be renewable and supported by all parties except Islamic State, the source said.

It now involves an array of groups including moderate and hardline rebels, extremists from Al Qaeda affiliate Al Nusra Front and ISIL, the Kurds, and regime forces backed by Russian Federation and Iran and Lebanon’s Hizbollah movement.

United Nations special envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Saturday the discussions were “intensive and constructive”, Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet reported.

The statement followed Russia’s call for an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss its concerns that Turkey may be planning to send ground troops into Syria.

“Those modalities are not yet fully agreed upon, but both ministers appreciated the scope and attention to detail task force members applied in drafting them”, US State Department spokesman John Kirby said during a press-briefing commenting on the two ministers’ conversation.

“A document on the cessation of hostile actions [by each conflicting party] is ready, Russian Federation and the USA have agreed [upon it]”, a source in the delegation of the Syria opposition groups that previously met in Moscow and Cairo told RIA Novosti, adding that the document should now be approved “at the high level”.

The statement from HNC spokesman Salem Al Meslet accused Syria and Russian Federation of showing “disdain for the global community and disregard for the lives of Syrians”.

The draft resolution was put forth by Russia Friday at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

Asked about the possibility of Turkey and Saudi Arabia sending ground forces into Syria, Assad said: “We’re going to deal with them like we deal with the terrorists”. He said Moscow was “concerned at the growing tension at the Syrian-Turkish border”.

“We can only express our regret that this draft resolution was not supported”.

Syria Democratic Forces walk in an area they have taken control of from Islamic State fighters in Hasaka countryside, Syria, Feb. 19, 2016.