Putin: Non-constitutional dismissal of Assad would make Syrian civil war endless

President Vladimir Putin believes that stopping violence in Syria is a priority for settlement of the crisis in the country. “We think that the order of actions should be the following: stopping violence, negotiations, searching for a way out, defining the constitutional foundations of the future society and then structural changes, but not vice versa.” President Putin was speaking at talks with Italian Prime Minister Monti. “The current authorities of Syria, as well as the armed opposition, should find forces for organizing negotiations to reach a compromise on the country’s future.”

Premier Monti suggested composing a transitional government, as happened in Lebanon. Putin responded that if Assad is dismissed by non-constitutional means, the opposition and the current authorities of Syria would simply replace each other, and the civil war would be ceaseless.