All illegal foreign troops must leave Syria: Putin

All foreign military forces illegally stationed in Syria must withdraw from the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published on Saturday.

"All the forces deployed illegitimately inside any sovereign state - in this case Syria - must leave," Putin told Russian news channel RT, British Sky News and Saudi-funded channel Al-Arabiya.

Russia will pull its troops out of Syria as well if Damascus does not need Moscow's help anymore, Putin was quoted by RT as saying.

"Syria must be free from other states' military presence. And the territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic must be completely restored," Putin said, adding that he had openly discussed the issue with Iranian, Turkish and U.S. partners.