WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States should be relieved by Russia’s assistance to the Syrian government in its fight against the Islamic State because it allows Washington to back away from its misguided strategy to depose Syrian President Bashar Assad, former White House National Security Council advisor Gwenyth Todd told Sputnik.
"Russian involvement in Syria is a welcome relief to the United States because it allows the United States to back away from its anti-Assad stance, justifying it as being too risky because no one wants conflict with Russia," Todd explained on Thursday.
The ensuing vacuum if Assad were to fall, Todd argued, would be catastrophic, benefitting only Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his efforts to assert control over Syria in addition to short-sighted Sunni Arab states.
"All who fear Sunni extremism need a major power like Russia involved, one that is ready to withstand international criticism and do whatever necessary to restore stability to Syria," she noted.
On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Assad must be involved in talks to end the four-year civil war that is raging within his own country since 2011, adding that the conflict in Syria could not be solved without including insiders.
Until Merkel’s comments, Western countries have taken a hard line on Assad’s involvement, saying that the Syrian president must be deposed to end the civil war.
Former US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Sputnik on Thursday that Russia’s proposal should be taken seriously.
The US-led coalition against the Islamic State includes 62 nations and has been engaged in military actions since August 2014. The coalition’s actions have not been authorized by the UN.
