Supporters of Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan which backs some rebel groups have met in the Turkish capital Ankara committing to achieving a ‘lasting ceasefire’ in Syria.
The three leaders reiterated the need to drive terrorists out of Syria even as US President Donald Trump sent mixed messages last week saying the US would be “coming out of Syria like very soon” hours after the Pentagon highlighted the need for US troops to remain in the country.
Iranian President Rouhani expressed the sentiments of all three leaders saying Syria’s sovereignty is important "We should help the future of Syria. No country has the right to decide the future of Syria. The future of Syria belongs to the Syrian people,"