Great Britain is not sure that Russia is really withdrawing its forces from Syria, Foreign Minister Philip Hammond said in Baghdad.
"If it turns out that Russia is really withdrawing its troops, and we still don't know that," Hammond said, commenting on Russia's announcement of a troop withdrawal, Reuters reported.
"We have already experienced similar situations in Ukraine - that Russia announces the withdrawal of its troops and it turns out to be just a rotation of military forces," said Hammond.
"If the withdrawal is confirmed, it will be interesting to see how long the Syrian regime can maintain the momentum on its own initiative," added the British minister.
"We do not believe that there can be lasting peace in Syria with Assad in power," he said, regarding the peace talks on Syria that are being conducted with the mediation of the UN in Geneva.
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