The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria would be a positive step, which should be conducted on the basis of protecting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday after a meeting with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Sochi, Xinhua reported.

Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Iranian President Hassan Rohani agreed during the talks that a U.S. pullout from northeastern Syria "would be a positive step that would help stabilize the situation in this region, where ultimately the legitimate government should reestablish control," he told a joint press conference.