Putin-Erdogan deal on Syria demilitarized zone heads off showdown, pending bloodbath

(Worthy News) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that he had struck a deal with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to table a planned offensive against the Syrian rebel stronghold of Idlib, a last-minute agreement that led all sides of the 7-year-old conflict to breathe a sigh of relief despite a host of unanswered questions about whether the so-called demilitarized zone will hold.

Regional analysts welcomed the accord but said it also underscored the sidelining of the U.S. in the Syrian endgame. Talks among Russia, Turkey and Iran have largely set the terms for what could be the climactic battle of the Syrian civil war.

Emerging from a high-stakes meeting in Sochi, Mr. Putin and Mr. Erdogan said they would designate and enforce a demilitarized zone roughly 9 to 12 miles deep in Idlib. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

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