Putin: Liberation of Aleppo Crucial Part of Normalization of Situation in Syria

The liberation of Aleppo is a crucial part of the full normalization of the situation in Syria and the Middle East region as a whole, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to Putin, the operation to retake the city and to evacuate people from it was completed with the "direct, if not decisive, participation and influence of our military personnel."

"The liberation of Aleppo from the radical element is the most important component of a full normalization in Syria, and I hope in the region as a whole," Putin said at a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

"With our partners from Iran and Turkey and of course the Syrian leadership and other countries in the region, with all interested states, we will have to continue to work on the final reconciliation," Putin added.