Putin expects cease-fire to lead to political settlement in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday voiced the hope that the current cease-fire in Syria would lead to a political settlement of the lingering crisis in the war-torn country.

"We are expecting the cessation of hostilities from both sides to lead to pacification. It is necessary to adopt a constitution, hold early elections and resolve the crisis by these means," Putin said during his annual live phone-in.

The Syrian army is capable of launching offensive operations with the help of Russia's remaining forces in the country, Putin said.

A tentative truce has largely been held since conflicting parties in Syria ceased hostilities in late February, under the auspices of Russia and the United States.

This is Putin's fourteenth Q&A session, dubbed "Direct Line with Vladimir Putin," which was launched in the year 2001 and held annually with exceptions only in 2004 and 2012.

In last year's session, the Russian president answered more than 70 questions from across the country on domestic issues and foreign relations in nearly four hours. Endi