MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan clinched a deal Oct. 22 on northeastern Syria to halt the Turkish offensive against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) — which Ankara deems a terrorist organization — implying their withdrawal from some areas east of the Euphrates River and from the towns of Tel Rifat and Manbij west of the river.

On Oct. 29, Moscow informed Ankara that 34,000 Kurdish militants and more than 3,200 heavy weapons were removed from a 30-kilometer-deep (19-mile-deep) strip of land in Syria on the Turkish border.

Almost a month into the agreement, Turkey is displeased with the progress on the ground and blames Russia for the failure to deliver on its own commitments. On Nov. 18, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned that Ankara may resume Operation Peace Spring in Syria should the Kurdish units remain near the Turkish-Syrian border. Reacting to the statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called Russia's belief of a potential resumption of the operation a “misunderstanding” but conceded that "there are maybe some individual areas where this matter still needs to be finished."

The Russian Defense Ministry sent a tougher message.