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In a recent TV interview, leading Russian journalist Maxim Shevchenko said that the Russian position on Syria was "quite clear. We support a federation." "This has been discussed at the highest level. Syria must become a federation," he said in the interview, which was posted on the Novaya Gazeta website on March 21, 2016.
Following are excerpts:
Maxim Shevchenko: Obviously, because of Syria, there have been no sanctions. On the contrary, the Syrian operation was a breakthrough. But there was political pressure... Well, with Washington we had a consensus and cooperation. With France we almost had a military alliance. The only pressure came from Britain, because this ran counter to many British plans. Britain, as the traditional patron of the Persian Gulf countries - especially the UAE - wanted the Syrian regime to fall, Syria to be partitioned, and some of the Syrian territory to be ruled informally by the British "dominions" of the Persian Gulf.
[…]
Interviewer: We previously discussed the deployment of [Soviet] forces in Afghanistan, which was made without real deliberations with experts. No scholars of the Middle East were involved. On the issue of deploying forces to Syria, you mentioned that [leading Russian scholar Vitaly] Naumkin and others may have helped our government. But what about withdrawal of our forces? Do you see any influence of the community of experts?
[…]
Middle East studies in Russia have freed themselves from the pressure of the Israeli lobby, which was formidable regarding many "resolutions" taken on Syria. The inclination to partition Syria - into an Alawite state and so on - has clearly been an Israeli position. The Russian position today is quite clear. We support a federation. This has been discussed at the highest level. Syria must become a federation.
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