Moscow’s Assad dilemma

Russia backpedals over diplomat’s comments on ally

MOSCOW — Russia’s attempt to backpedal after a top diplomat said Syrian President Bashar Assad is losing control of his country reflects the dilemma Moscow faces as opposition fighters gain ground.

Throughout the Syrian crisis, Russia has tried to walk a fine line — eschewing statements of outright support for Assad while blocking international attempts to pressure him to stop the fighting or to leave power altogether.

Instead, Russia has insisted that negotiations are the only way to resolve the crisis and has portrayed itself as a principled opponent of foreign intervention.

The strategy, however, has led some to view Moscow’s stance as a disingenuous attempt to prop up a dictator in a country where activists say more than 40,000 people have been killed since March 2011.

As the fighting in Syria intensified over recent months, Russian officials have held back from public assessments of whether Assad’s regime would survive. But on Thursday, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was quoted by major Russian news agencies as saying “there is a trend for the government to progressively lose control over an increasing part of the territory” and “an opposition victory can’t be excluded.”

On Friday, the Foreign Ministry issued a convoluted denial, saying its top envoy for Syria was merely characterizing the opinion of the Syrian opposition rather than stating Russia’s view.

“There have been no changes in Russia’s position,” Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil told journalists after the meeting.