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Fight against Islamic state

Political settlement in Syria can start only after stage of anti-terror struggle — Kremlin

Russia is not planning any ground operation in Syria

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

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MOSCOW, October 21 /TASS/. The process of political settlement in Syria can start only after the stage of struggle against terrorist groups is completed and a threat of the country’s disintegration is removed, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Wednesday.

"Such details are certainly unavailable," Peskov said when asked whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed a possibility of the Syrian leader’s resignation and political guarantees to him during their talks in Moscow.

"Naturally, it would be inappropriate to talk about a political settlement in conditions when a terrorist threat fraught with Syria’s disintegration and the loss of its territorial and political integrity is still dominating in the country," Peskov said commenting the Russian-Syrian talks held on earlier on Wednesday.

"The task of fighting terrorism is our top priority. The stage of a political settlement is next," Peskov said.

He added that the Russian and Syrian sides as well as all other countries were absolutely unanimous in the opinion that there was no alternative to a political settlement.

However, the final say is after the Syrian people. No external solution can be imposed, Peskov said.

Asked to comment on Russia’s actions in Syria, Peskov said that Russia was not planning any ground operation in Syria.

Peskov refused to comment if snap elections were possible in Syria at this stage. "I have nothing to add on this point," he said adding that the Russian and Syrian presidents had talked for almost three hours.

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