Demands for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad to step down restrict perspectives for political settlement in this country

Demands for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad to step down restrict perspectives for political settlement in this country, Russia's RIA news agency on Monday quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying.

Moscow proposes to put off discussions about President Assad’s fate, Ryabkov said, adding the issue should be decided later by the sides involved in the Syrian conflict.

Ryabkov also said that Russia and US will never share common ground on President Assad's future. "We will never find common ground with our colleagues from Washington and from some other capitals who think that we should work under the motto 'Assad must resign,'" he told RIA Novosti.

"We will never find common ground on the matter not only because it contradicts our entire foreign policy doctrine, under which regime change, 'color revolutions' and social engineering from the outside are unacceptable, but also simply because such a condition leaves no future for any political process," the deputy foreign minister said.

Ryabkov also said that there is a chance to deal irreparable damage to terrorists in Syria as Palmyra's liberation changed the balance of power.

“Of course, the Americans have a hard time arguing that the liberation of Palmyra was a very important event and, perhaps, largely changed the balance of power in the Syrian conflict in general,” he pointed out.

“The real situation on the ground in Syria shows that now there is a chance to deal a devastating blow to terrorist structures, Daesh (ISIL) first and foremost, but also to the Nusra Front and other groups operating there,” he said.