European Allies Debate Pushing Syria Rulers to Oust Russian Army
- Dutch minister says lifting of sanctions should be conditional
- Syria now controlled by HTS, a former affiliate of al-Qaeda
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Some European nations are considering making the expulsion of Russia’s military from Syria a precondition for lifting restrictions against the Islamist group now in control of most of the country, according to people familiar with the matter.
A debate is also underway about whether to make the delivery of longer-term aid to the war-ravaged nation conditional on Moscow vacating its two Syrian bases, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive material. The talks are ongoing and a joint final decision has yet to be taken, they said.