Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country is capable of reestablishing its military presence in Syria in a few hours, depending on circumstances, in case of any need.
Putin reiterated that Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war in response to the regime's call when he sent ground and air force commanders, who have returned to Moscow.
Russia is not in favor of war and calls on all sides to remain committed to the peace process, Putin noted, adding that Moscow will continue to support its closest ally in the region.
Russia's military intervention in late September 2015 came as a response to the regime's request for military support in fighting against opposition groups. Officials in Moscow acknowledge they aimed to help the Syrian government to recapture territories from various opposition groups and to wipe out Daesh, which they consider a terrorist organization.
Russian warplanes began strikes after a regime offensive to retake Aleppo from opposition forces controlling almost half of the city's eastern outskirts. However, the major assault did not result in any significant gains for the regime. Putin also underlined that Russia began withdrawing its forces from Syria after an agreement reached with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, adding that Russia will continue to take part in the counter-terror campaign in Syria.
