Syria conflict: Russia says keeping Assad ”not crucial”

Russia says it is not crucial for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad to stay in power, saying it is up to the  Syrian people to decide, the Russian foreign ministry has said. When asked if saving the Syrian leader was a matter of principle for Russia, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “Absolutely not, we never said that.” […]

Russia says it is not crucial for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad to stay in power, saying it is up to the  Syrian people to decide, the Russian foreign ministry has said.
When asked if saving the Syrian leader was a matter of principle for Russia, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “Absolutely not, we never said that.”
“We are not saying that Assad should leave or stay,” she added. Russia is supporting the Syrian government with air strikes on rebels.
Ms Zakharova said on the Ekho Moskvy radio station that whether Mr Assad stayed or stepped down was not critical for Russia, but that it was up to the Syrian people to decide his fate.