FILE IMAGE
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will remain in power because Iran and Russia “won the war on the ground”, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with France 2 television on Sunday.
“Bashar al-Assad will be there,” Macron said. “He will be there because he is protected by those who have won the war on the ground, whether it’s Iran or Russia.”
The presodent added that France’s priority is to destroy ISIS in Syria and to seek a political solution to the conflict, rather than oust Assad. Macron also said that the US-led coalition, which includes France, will win the war against ISIS in Syria “by the middle to the end of February.”
Marcon described al-Assad as “an enemy of the Syrian people”, but said that when the military conflict is over, “we have to speak to Assad and his representatives.”
The Marcon interview is a rare example of the admission of reality on the ground in Syria. In general, members of the US-led coalition involved in conflits in Syria and Iraq prefer remaining delusional repeating “Assad must go” mantras.
