Russia Role in Syria Undiminished Despite Latest Withdrawal

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2jdQqaU
via IFTTT Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to cast himself as a peacemaker in Syria, after his military proved to be the difference in the battle for Aleppo. The Russian military announced Friday it was withdrawing its flagship vessels from the Syrian coast, and Putin has sent his envoys to organize the first talks between the Syrian government and opposition in nearly a year, set for later this month in Kazakhstan.