Russia

Iran Says ‘No Military Solution’ for Syria in Talks With Russia, Turkey

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said there is "no military solution" for Syria on Wednesday during a video conference with his Russian and Turkish counterparts.

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Turkey Slams France’s ‘Destructive’ Approach to Libya Conflict

Turkey on Tuesday blasted France’s “destructive” approach to the conflict in Libya in response to France's claims that Turkey's involvement in Libya has been “criminal.”

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Pentagon to Give Trump Options to Reduce Troops in Germany

Defense Secretary Mark Esper will present President Donald Trump with a series of options Monday to withdraw thousands of US troops from Germany, with many moving to eastern Europe, the Pentagon said Saturday. “Secretary Esper met with President Trump on Wednesday to discuss our presence in Europe,” said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman. “On Monday the Secretary will brief the President at the White House on options for our force posture in Germany.” According to two senior Pentagon officials, the plan calls for cutting the permanent US troop presence in Germany to 25,000, as Trump announced June 15, for a reduction of 9,500 troops. Some of the 9,500 will return to the US, while others will be transferred to former Soviet-bloc countries, the two officials said, speaking on grounds of anonymity. That shift, they added, would be meant as a clear warning to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, whose military ambitions were underscored by the 2014 annexation of the Crimea. The two officials did not say to which European country the troops might be moved, as that is among the options to be presented to the US president. But Trump, meeting at the White House on Wednesday with Polish President Andrzej …

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US, Russia Hold Arms Talks With Little Hope of Accord

The United States and Russia held talks in Vienna Monday on their last major nuclear weapons agreement with little prospect of an imminent agreement as tensions and differences mount over whether they see any value in arms control at all.

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Drone Strike in Syria Kills Two Jihadist Leaders: Monitor

A drone attack in northwestern Syria killed two commanders of an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group on Sunday, a war monitor said.

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First Civilian Killed in NW Syria Raid Since March: Monitor

Russian air strikes on northwestern Syria killed a civilian Tuesday, the first such fatality since a ceasefire went into force three months ago, a war monitor said.

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Syria Jihadist-Regime Clashes Leave 41 Fighters Dead

An Al-Qaeda offshoot led an offensive Monday against regime forces in northwest Syria, sparking clashes that left 19 pro-government fighters and 22 jihadists dead, a war monitor said.

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First Russian Strikes in 3 Months Hit NW Syria: Monitor

Russian air strikes have hit Syria’s last major rebel bastion for the first time since a March ceasefire came into force, a war monitor said on Wednesday. The Russian strikes on Tuesday evening and at dawn on Wednesday hit an area of the northwest where the boundaries of Hama, Idlib, and Latakia provinces meet, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance (HTS), led by Syria’s former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and its hardline allies enjoy a significant presence in the area, the Britain-based monitoring group added. Home to some three million people, the Idlib region of the northwest is controlled by HTS and affiliated rebel groups. A Russian-backed government offensive between December and March displaced nearly a million people in the region. Some 840,000 of the nearly one million remain displaced, while some 120,000 have returned to their home communities since the ceasefire went into force, according to the United Nations. The truce, which coincided with the coronavirus crisis, had put a stop to the relentless air strikes by government forces and their Russian allies that killed at least 500 civilians in four months. The Observatory said the latest strikes were intended to push jihadists away from the …

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Libya Rivals Agree Return to Ceasefire Talks: UN

The United Nations’ Libya mission said Tuesday the country’s warring parties had agreed to restart talks aimed at reaching a lasting ceasefire, after a three-month suspension. In a statement, UNSMIL “welcomed” moves by the Government of National Accord and forces backing eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar to accept “restarting negotiations on a ceasefire and the related security arrangements.” Pro-Haftar forces have been battling since April last year to seize the capital Tripoli from the UN-recognised GNA, in fighting that has left hundreds dead and forced 200,000 to flee their homes. A military commission made up of five GNA loyalists and five Haftar delegates held talks in February, but the dialogue was suspended. A January truce brokered by GNA backer Turkey and key Haftar ally Russia has been repeatedly violated. Neither side immediately commented on the UN statement. Haftar’s rapid advance on Tripoli last year stalled to a bloody stalemate on the edges of the capital. In recent weeks, GNA forces buoyed by Turkish drones and air defense systems have taken back a string of coastal towns and a key airbase, Haftar is supported by neighboring Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as well as Russia. The UN mission urged “states backing either …

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Russia Sent Warplanes to Back Mercenaries in Libya: US Military

Russia recently sent fighter jets to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting for strongman Khalifa Haftar, the U.S. military command for Africa (Africom) said Tuesday, in a major escalation in the long-running conflict. The military fighter aircraft left Russia and first stopped in Syria where they “were repainted to camouflage their Russian origin” before arriving in Libya, said Stuttgart-based Africom. The U.S. military did not specify when exactly the jets arrived, only saying that it was “recently.” The announcement comes a day after Libya’s U.N.-recognised government said hundreds of Russian mercenaries backing rival military commander Haftar had been evacuated from combat zones south of the capital Tripoli. The retreat follows a series of setbacks for Haftar’s years-long offensive to seize the capital from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA). The Kremlin has always denied involvement in the conflict. But United Nations experts said in a report last month that the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian paramilitary organization seen as close to President Vladimir Putin, had sent fighters to back Haftar. “For too long, Russia has denied the full extent of its involvement in the ongoing Libyan conflict. Well, there is no denying it now,” said U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend …

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