Russia’s ‘de-escalation zones’ in Syria: a serious proposal, a diplomatic ploy or a trap?
Russian President Vladimir Putin rounded off three days of non-stop diplomacy with a telephone conversation with US President Trump and a meeting with Turkish President Erdogan. This came directly after his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Putin obviously discussed the Syrian conflict with all three. Moreover it is known that over the course of the same discussions Putin mooted with all three of them – but especially with Trump and Erdogan – a new Russian proposal for something the Russians are calling ‘de-escalation zones’.
