Russia offers to mediate in Syria, asserting its role

Russia offered Wednesday to mediate a resolution in northern Syria, further asserting Moscow's role as a regional force, ahead of a mission by US Vice President Mike Pence to press Turkey for a cease-fire in its attack on Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Ahead of talks with Pence, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defied U.S. economic sanctions, saying the only way its military offensive would end was if Syrian Kurdish fighters leave a designated border area.

Erdogan also said he had "no problem" accepting an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Russia soon to discuss Syria. But he threw into doubt a planned November 13 meeting with US President Donald Trump, citing anger over the sanctions that Washington imposed Monday on the NATO ally.

Russia has moved quickly to entrench its leadership role and fill the void after Trump ordered the pullout of American forces in northeastern Syria.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies that Moscow is committed to mediating between Syria and Turkey.

The American move effectively abandoned the Kurdish fighters allied with the U.S. and cleared the way for Turkey's invasion aimed at crushing them. After heavy criticism at home, Trump sought new leverage with Turkey by imposing the sanctions.

America's abrupt withdrawal of its troops pushed the Kurds to strike a deal with the Russia-backed government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, allowing his forces to return to regions of northern Syria they abandoned at the height of the 8-year-old civil war.

It has also allowed Moscow to take a more prominent role as an interlocutor among Assad, the former US-allied Kurds and Turkey.

"Syria's friendly with the Kurds. The Kurds are very well-protected. Plus, they know how to fight. And, by the way, they're no angels," Trump told reporters at the White House while meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

Trump added that US troops are "largely out" of the region, adding that if Russia wanted to get involved with Syria, "that's really up to them. It's not our border. We shouldn't be losing lives over it."
"Our proposal is for the terrorists to lay down their arms, leave their equipment, destroy the traps they have created, and leave the safe zone we designated, as of tonight," Erdogan said. "If this is done, our Operation Peace Spring will end by itself."
Pence said the US is "simply not going to tolerate Turkey's invasion of Syria any longer."
Erdogan said he was not concerned by the sanctions. He told reporters that chances for his November trip to Washington are "something to be assessed" after the talks with the American delegation, he said, adding that the sanctions and criticisms in the US constituted "great disrespect toward the Turkish Republic."