Russian military police could be deployed in a proposed “safe zone” along Syria’s northern border with Turkey, Russian news agencies cited foreign minister Sergei Lavrov as saying to Chinese and Vietnamese media on Sunday, Reuters reported.
The suggestion is unlikely to appeal to Ankara, which is keen to set up the zone but has stressed it must be under Turkish control, with only its own forces deployed there, Reuters stated.
Lavrov was cited as saying on Sunday that the format of the safe zone was in the process of being finalized by military leaders and that any decision would take the interests of Damascus and Ankara into account as much as possible.
“We have experience in combining ceasefire agreements, safety measures and the creation of de-escalation zones with the roll-out of Russian military police,” Lavrov said.
“Such a possibility is being kept open for this buffer zone.”