West's Cooperation With Russia and Assad the 'Only Way' to Stop Syrian War

There is only one way to stop the ongoing migrant crisis in Europe – by ending the war in Syria, which is impossible without cooperation with Russia and Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, Czech political analyst Oscar Krejci told ParlamentniListy.cz.

The issue of Islamic extremism is one of the most important for Russia, the analyst underscored.

At least 2,400 Russian citizens are fighting in the ranks of the Islamic State (ISIL) terrorist group. ISIL is a threat to both Western Europe and Russia.

This is why Russia may be interested in a military offensive in Syria – to fight ISIL militants, he explained.

He added that the migrant crisis in Europe can only be dealt with if the chaos in the Middle East and North Africa ends.

Commenting on Russia’s support to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, Krejci underscored that Assad would be an important part of further talks on the settlement of the crisis.

According to him, the situation must be urgently resolved. However, the settlement should be carried out only with the cooperation of NATO, Russian and Assad’s forces.

"The preparation for this scenario began back in May 2015, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry held talks in Sochi," the author wrote.

"Russia’s presence in the region seems to be the only chance to resolve the crisis," Krejci said.

This appears to prove that sides of the settlement process, especially Washington, have realized that a conflict may be possible with Assad, but not a war against him, according to him.

However, even if the war against Islamic State is won, Assad would have to quit in order to stabilize the situation in Syria and prevent a Libya-like scenario, he added.

What is more, Krejci hypothesized that the US and Russia have already achieved a non-public agreement to form a coalition against ISIL in Syria.

Commenting on a possible way to stop the migrant crisis in Europe, the analyst said it is important to deal with its roots but not its consequences.

"European leaders, especially Hollande and Merkel, should urge the US and Russia to settle their dispute and join forces to stop the Syrian crisis. This is the only way out," he said.

"Finally, we [the West] should admit that we provoked this crisis. We should take responsibility for our mistakes and act proactively to correct them," he added.