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US absence in Syria ceasefire deal very telling: Analyst

Friday, 30 December 2016 3:49 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 31 December 2016 8:42 AM ]

A Syrian man walks past a destroyed building in the militant-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of Damascus, on December 30, 2016, on the first day of a nationwide ceasefire. (Photo by AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Damascus and foreign-backed militant groups have reached a ceasefire deal brokered by Moscow and Ankara. Putin said the agreement would be followed by peace talks between the government of Syrian President Bashar-Assad and the foreign-backed opposition.

A political commentator believes it is a significant development that the United States is not involved in the Syrian ceasefire agreement, adding that it indicates that the role of Washington has been demoted to a “secondary actor” in the face of Russia’s presence in Syria.

“In essence what we are seeing today is Russia now taking the initiative in the Syria crisis. Russia has turned not just from a military supporter of the government in Syria but now it is an actual power broker. Russia is the most significant superpower present in Syria at this moment in time,” Danny Makki told Press TV in an interview on Friday.

He also stated that the ceasefire agreement is a “political victory” since it almost forces the opposition to agree on the Syrian government’s terms.

The analyst further noted that there is more potentiality of this ceasefire working out solely because Turkey, which is accused of supporting the militancy in Syria, is now supporting it.

However, he said, it remains to be seen whether the ceasefire will last, but there are prospects for its success due to the fact that Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Daesh and other extremist groups are not involved in the ceasefire deal.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Makki argued that a new geopolitical alliance is transforming in the Middle East because of the Syria crisis.

He added that Turkey is clearly seeing Russia as a more credible ally in Syria than the United States.

“So essentially we are seeing this new alliance of Iran, Russia, and Turkey emerging in a sense where you can see a political solution emanating from these three particular countries and Syria,” he said.

Makki further predicted that the proposed Syrian peace talks will be “very influential” and “fruitful” because Russia and Turkey have come on a level playing field, and a political solution will be reached without the role of the United States.

According to the analyst, without the fall of the strategic northwestern city of Aleppo, the ceasefire and the upcoming peace talks would not have been achieved.

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