The "Middle Eastern Yalta" Held in Sochi Heralds Beginning of New Multipolar World Order

On Wednesday, November 22, the southern capital of Russia, Sochi, hosted a meeting of the leaders of Russia, Iran, and Turkey on Syria. The observers have already dubbed this trilateral summit the Middle Eastern Yalta, comparing it with the meeting of the leaders of the USSR, the United States, and Great Britain in the Crimea at the end of World War II. Then, the winners came to the Crimea, willing to assume responsibility for the postwar world as well. Parallels do exist. Military operations against the savages in their pseudo-caliphate in Syria are coming to an end. 98% of the territory has already been liberated from the terrorists. The post-war settlement is dominating the agenda. In fact, the allies in the war on the terrorists take responsibility for the order that is to be established and maintained in Syria. It is clear that the key role will belong to the Syrian people, but also clear that Syria can't handle the situation on its own without honest external support. Powerful guarantor countries are needed to supervise the whole process. And here are these three countries: Russia, Iran, and Turkey.

Our partners are strong states. The population of each of them is more than 80 million people. They have considerable economic and military heft. They're resolute and have a common interest in Syria: to ensure a peaceful future for Syria as a unified state. To this end, the delegations of the guarantor states have worked for many months in the Astana negotiations. And to this end, a Syrian National Dialogue Congress is to take place soon in Sochi. The participants haven't been defined yet, but it has been decided that they should represent several broad layers of Syrian society.

Interestingly, Erdogan no longer mouthed off the usual NATO talking point that "Assad must leave." It's not about Assad. This is just one example of Erdogan's evolution. He's the president of a country that has been considered a NATO outpost in the region. But what alternative does Erdogan have? After all, on the one hand, the Americans supported a military coup in Turkey, during which they planned to kill Erdogan, but he miraculously survived. On the other hand, Russia is showing a clear, correct, univocal stance in the region, seconded by her unexpected military power.

At the same time, Putin personally spoke with all the leaders of the neighboring countries, sincerely seeking a long-term balance of interests. He did achieve it, which is undoubtedly one of his brightest diplomatic victories. Even better, no one in the Middle East feels left out, and the respect for Russia is unconditional. By the way, watching the trilateral summit, one could expect that this team can grow in number.

Anyways, the post-war settlement in Syria is being discussed not in the residence of the US president at Camp David, not in Geneva or Riyadh, but at the residence of the Russian president in Sochi. This is the dawn of the multipolar world, where one can do without the once obligatory blessings of America and Europe. What's left for them? They get the blowback from the terrorists, whom they nurtured. President of Iran Rouhani worded it well, speaking in Sochi.

Our political observer Pavel Zarubin has the details. The Iranian president's assistant pours him the water, brought in a special bag, and then puts the bottle in it. Erdogan's chair falls. Journalists from around the world scrutinize each frame per micro-frames, catching every detail, getting millions of views. And such attention to the summit in Sochi is understandable.

When World War II came to its bloody end, three great powers — Great Britain, Russia, and the United States — organized a meeting at a Soviet resort in Yalta to decide the fate of the world. Now, more than 70 years later, the three powers got together in Sochi, a southern Russian resort, to discuss the future of Syria.

The hall rivets all the world TV channels' attention. One has to be especially lucky to get in. Russia, Turkey, Iran, key participants of the events in and around Syria, are actually discussing the post-war settlement not only of one country, but certainly the whole region.

Rouhani walks along the paths of the Rus sanatorium. He received Putin only three weeks ago in Tehran. And Erdogan arrived in Sochi for the second time in just 10 days. This seems simply incredible by any diplomatic standards, but it only emphasizes that the summit was prepared thoroughly at the highest possible level.

Erdogan notices Putin's spokesman Peskov who has an excellent command of Turkish. This place is always behind the scenes, but today, obviously, it's all the more interesting and important. These are the interpreters' booths: Persian, Turkish, English, Russian, everything is ready, we've seen an interpreter enter the Iranian booth.

- Excuse me, hello. Is everything ready?

- Everything is ready, it's alright. Godspeed!

- God?

- God.

President Putin: "Large-scale military operations against terrorist gangs in Syria are coming to an end. Indeed, militants in Syria have suffered a decisive blow, and now there is a real chance to end the civil war that has lasted many years".

It was thanks to Russia that the situation, which seemed disastrous, could be reversed. Just two years ago, almost all of Syria was captured by terrorists. Monstrous mass executions, bloodshed, thousands of people dead.

Now 98% of the country has been liberated. And the time has come for a political process, in fact, a process of civil reconciliation. The Syrian people are to decide their future themselves, both those who back the incumbent government and those who are in opposition.

It was then found out that Putin had talked with the president of Syria for four hours on the eve of the summit. On that day, the President was announced to have a meeting with the military at the Bocharov Ruchey residence. Journalists always arrive in advance, but in this instance the time kept changing. Moreover, on the way to the residence the bus was stopped and journalists were asked to wait. Many felt that the journalists weren't supposed to see something or someone. At that moment, President Putin and President Assad were standing on this porch.

This meeting was later called unexpected. But it was unexpected only for security reasons. Assad practically does not leave his country. However, a detailed conversation between the leaders a day before the key summit on Syria was, undoubtedly, indispensable and logical.

Dmitry Peskov, the President's spokesman: "The conversation with Assad of course, contributed a lot to the recent successful meeting in Sochi".

After a detailed discussion of a political process, Putin invited Assad to a room where the leadership of the Russian Armed Forces gathered. President Putin: “I want Mr. Assad to see those who have played the key role in saving Syria. Conditions for a political process could not have been created without the armed forces, without your efforts, and the efforts and heroism of your subordinates. And the conditions and possibilities for a political process would not be created. These conditions have been created thanks to the Russian Armed Forces.”

President Assad: "On behalf of the Syrian people, I express our gratitude for your efforts. We will never forget this".

- Given recent statements, is our military grouping in Syria expected to reduce in the near future?

- Maybe, yes.

And later Gerasimov added that it would be a considerable drawdown. Valery Gerasimov, Chief of Russia's General Staff: "Our two military bases will remain, as well as the Center for Reconciliation and a number of necessary structures to maintain the current situation."

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump spoke on the phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Donald Trump: "We had a great call with President Putin. We discussed peace in Syria, it's very important".

The biggest question is what Syria will become after ISIS is eliminated. What's our role in it?

John Bolton, former US Ambassador to the UN: "I don't think that we have a strategy. And I don't think the Obama administration had one. And it seems to me that Trump's advisers didn't suggest anything".

“Russia, Turkey, and Iran agree on their plans for the future of Syria, while the USA which wasn’t even invited to Sochi, is now seen as a loser”. Western newspapers and TV channels almost unanimously admit that Russia, of course, has succeeded.

"Undoubtedly, Vladimir Putin has finally successfully proved himself to be the most important player in the Middle East".

"Clearly, he turned out to be an irreplaceable figure who can break the deadlock, bridge the gap and accelerate the political process in Syria".

Emir of Qatar, King of Saudi Arabia, President of Egypt, Prime Minister of Israel... Putin's phone conversations followed one after another.

Dmitry Peskov: "President Putin had an extremely intense diplomatic marathon, which is supposed to continue. We still have a lot to do".

After all, the Syrian National Dialogue Congress is looming. The agreement that it should be held is, of course, the main achievement of the summit. Representatives of different ethnic, confessional and political groups of the country are planned to sit at the negotiating table.

President Putin: "The congress will address key issues on the national agenda for Syria, above all those related to defining the parameters of future statehood, the adoption of a new constitution and, based on that, holding elections under UN oversight".

At the same time, as President Assad said, Syria relies on Russia's support to prevent external players from interfering in its internal affairs during this process. And everyone understands who he is talking about.

President of Iran Rouhani: "From the very beginning, the crisis in Syria was accompanied by direct foreign intervention, including the support and equipment and weapon supplies for the militant groups that later formed the backbone of ISIS. Some powers that claim to pursue democracy and human rights will not hesitate to make extensive use of the tools of terrorism and violence in order to achieve their short-sighted objectives".

This policy plunged the whole region into chaos. The situation in Syria has improved, but terrible terrorist attacks, outrageous in their cruelty, occur in the Middle East almost every day. They already claimed more than 300 lives in Egypt. The islamic terrorists not only blew up the mosque but then also began shooting those who survived and began to run out of it. The series of monstrous attacks in Turkey are hard to forget. Only in recent months has the situation there been more or less stabilized.

President Erdogan: "The situation in neighboring Syria is of critical importance for Ankara. We had frank discussions on all agenda items, we were pleased to note that the formation of de-escalation zones played the main role in decreasing tensions".

Of course, many differences on Syria persist. But until recently it was impossible to imagine such a photo. The interests seemed to differ too much. Nevertheless, now this handshake is a reality.

President Putin: "I want to stress the special role of the President of Turkey and the President of Iran. Without the stance you took, the Astana process would not have existed. There would have been no cessation of hostilities, no ceasefire, no de-escalation zones".

Russians crucially have illustrated that they stick by their allies, and that they are a major power to be reckoned with in the Middle East and, of course, beyond it. Such comments on the American TV look all the more symbolic, given how the US is developing its relations with its supposed allies. There are already public calls in Turkey for severing relations with NATO after images of Erdogan and Atatürk were used as targets in NATO exercises.

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Turkey's Foreign Minister: "We demand a full-scale investigation, we need to know what's behind this, it's unacceptable and outrageous, disgusting." Turkish newspapers note that the US is simply jealous of Turkey's contacts with Russia and their joint success on Syria. “This is a table that the US is not allowed to sit at . And now this table has been laid very often".

This footage from behind the curtain was made by a personal cameraman after the Sochi summit. The leaders leave the building after the talks. It was already dark, but bilateral meetings were to follow right after. The schedule was very tight. The Syrian National Dialogue Congress might also take place in Sochi.

Pavel Zarubin, Andrei Melnikov, Dmitry Yarmolenko, Natalya Gubina, Oleg Makarov, and Pyotr Ravnov for Vesti — News of the Week from Sochi.