Russia shows peaceful intentions by reducing military grouping in Syria - Federation Council
MOSCOW. Jan 6 (Interfax) - Reduction of the Russian military presence in Syria shows Russia's commitment to the peaceful settlement and confirms its true intentions in the Middle East, Federation Council Defense and Security Committee Deputy Chairman Franz Klintsevich said.
"After all, among the motives we were guided by while making this decision, I emphasize Russia's commitment to the peaceful settlement in Syria," Klintsevich told Interfax on Friday.
He commented thus on the information that the grouping of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria has began to decrease. First, the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and the Pyotr Veliky cruiser with the escort ships will leave it, Russian Armed Forces General Staff Chief and First Deputy Defense Minister Gen. of the Army Valery Gerasimov said.
Klintsevich said "we could have left our ships there just in case, so to say, for intimidation," as the United States does, increasing its military presence in Europe.
At the same time, he said, "reduction of our military grouping in Syria is not a speculation." "It is an actual confirmation of our true intentions in the Middle East," he said.
"I am a military man, so I can speak in all honesty. Today there's no strict military need to keep in the zone ships of the Northern Fleet's carrier strike group headed by the Admiral Kuznetsov heavy aircraft carrier. Russia showed the capabilities of this group to the whole world and, if necessary, will repeat this maneuver as many times as needed," he said.