Russia: US troop pullout is helpful for Syria settlement-TASS

MOSCOW, Dec 19 (Reuters) - A decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria creates prospects for a political settlement of the crisis there, TASS news agency reported the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying on Wednesday.

The United States said it had begun withdrawing U.S. forces from Syria as U.S. officials said Washington was considering pulling out all its troops as it winds up its campaign to retake territory once held by Islamic State.

TASS also cited the ministry as saying that an initiative to form a Syrian constitutional committee had a bright future with the U.S. troop withdrawal.