Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Bashar al-Assad has made many mistakes in the course of the ongoing conflict during an interview with Bild magazine published today.
When asked by the German magazine if he would provide asylum for Assad, Putin said it was premature to discuss the issue. “First, the Syrian people should be given the opportunity to have their say. I assure you, if this process is conducted democratically, then al-Assad will probably not need to leave the country at all. And it is not important whether he remains President or not,” Putin said.
The Russian president reiterated his country’s support for the Assad regime, adding that “it is not Assad’s goal to destroy his country’s population. He is fighting those who rose up against him with deadly force. And if the civilians suffer, I think that the primary responsibility for this is with those who fight against him with deadly force as well as those who assist armed groups.”
The Syrian Coalition said that Russia is Assad’s major international partner to the crimes and terrorism he practices against the Syrian people.
The Syrian Coalition has repeatedly called on the UN Security Council to intervene immediately to stop Putin and Assad bombing civilians, hospitals and schools. The Coalition urged human rights organizations to expose war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Assad and Russia’s air forces against Syrian civilians in order to bring perpetrators in front of international justice. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
