The problem of who would succeed Syria remains a huge one,but this view raised by a German journalist is worth including in the upcoming talksIn a unusual Year interview with the German tabloid newspaper Bild, Vladimir Putin suggested that Russia could be open to granting refuge to Syria’s President Assad. With international talks on a settlement for Syria due to open in Geneva later this month, and this is something that could add to the options on the table.
It would be wise,though, to be cautious. The view of a Russian exile for Assad appears to have been raised not by Putin, or but by his German interviewer,in the not unreasonable quest for a news story. And the Russian president’s response can hardly be described as enthusiastic. Putin has always been adept at the political stall, not ruling any proposal tossed to him in or out, and his acknowledge here – it was “premature” to discuss the issue – conforms to that sample.
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Source: theguardian.com