Putin: Too early to speak about sheltering Assad in Russia

Removing president won’t be difficult, Russian leader suggests as diplomats work to bring Syrian opposition to peace talks

By AP 12 January 2016, 10:42 am

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In this photo taken Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin sits for an interview with the German daily Bild at the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia. (Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

MOSCOW, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that it would be too early to speak about granting political asylum to Syrian President Bashar Assad, a Putin ally and arguably the main obstacle in the Syrian peace process.

Russia began carrying out airstrikes on the positions of Islamic State fighters in September in support of Assad’s army which critics say are aimed against Assad’s opponents.

Russia, the United States and Middle East nations are promoting talks between the Syrian government and opposition, and Assad has been seen as a highly divisive figure.

Putin said in an interview with the German daily Bild published on Tuesday that Moscow is advocating for a constitutional reform in Syria and if the next election is democratic, “Assad won’t have to go anywhere, no matter if he is elected president or not.”

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows Syrian President Bashar Assad, speaking during an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE, in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Dec. 11, 2015. (SANA via AP)

While Putin refused to speculate on a possible Moscow role in helping to remove Assad, he indicated that it would not be too difficult for Moscow to do.

“We granted asylum to Snowden,” he said referring to the American whistleblower Edward Snowden. “That was more difficult than (it would be) to shelter Assad.”