France weighs its Syria presence, cooperation with Russia
As the United States leaves Syria, France seeks an appropriate balance between its own military presence, relations with Russia and maneuvering between Turkey and the Kurds.
On Jan. 2, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin had their first phone conversation of 2019. The two leaders discussed Syria in the light of the planned US withdrawal, and the French president emphasized three points.
First, he said the fight against the Islamic State must be carried on in order to avoid any resurgence of the terrorist group. Second, he stressed that the Kurds, who have been the spearhead of the battle against the terrorists on the ground in Syria, must be safeguarded, and their rights recognized. Finally, he underlined the necessity to strictly enforce the Istanbul agreement of Oct. 27 “to ensure a durable cessation of hostilities in Idlib province.”
Although the Russian president agreed with the two first points, the third one remains a point of friction between Paris and Moscow, especially since Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has now taken over almost all the Idlib region.
These outlined priorities reflect a balancing act for France in Syria in the context of the coming American withdrawal.
