Russia cannot win in Syria, must push for transition: Blinken

PARIS (Reuters) - Russia's intervention in Syria is "not going particularly well" and it should instead push for political transition in the country, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's deputy Antony Blinken told France 24 television. Russia says it has destroyed more than 800 terrorist targets in Syria since it began its campaign of air strikes on Sept. 30, an intervention Moscow says is aimed at destroying extremist Islamic militants, but which Washington says is also targeting moderate rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "They cannot win in Syria, they can perhaps prevent Assad from losing, but they cannot win," Blinken said of Russia. "Its actions on the ground in support of the regime are not going particularly well, they have made very little progress despite the onslaught of Russia airpower," he said after taking part in talks on Syria in Paris. "Russia now has an incentive and more influence to move Assad and the regime towards a transition. There is a recognition on all sides that there is no military solution in Syria, that is a recognition that is now growing on the Russians." Blinken also said that Russia "cannot afford to alienate virtually all of the Sunni Muslim world" and that it was clear that Shi'ite Iran would have to be part of the conversation on Syria's future in one way or another. Asked in a separate interview on French radio RTL if Assad's departure was a prerequisite for any progress, he said: "Not a prerequisite, but the process that will be triggered must lead to Assad's departure." "What we must do now is to define in more detail a transition process," he said. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas and Michel Rose; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Louise Ireland)