Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that a proposed diplomatic solution with Syria will only work if the United States agrees to take the use of military force off the table.
The proposal for Bashar al-Assad to relinquish control of his regime’s chemical weapons has gained steam after the idea was first floated by Secretary of State John Kerry in a seemingly off-handed remark. Syria said Tuesday that it will accept the proposal that has been endorsed by Moscow and the White House said it will consider the idea.
But Putin insisted that the proposal is unworkable unless the U.S. calls off a military strike in Syria.
“Certainly, this is all reasonable, it will function and will work out, only if the US and those who support it on this issue pledge to renounce the use of force, because it is difficult to make any country – Syria or any other country in the world – to unilaterally disarm if there is military action against it under consideration,” Putin told RT.
