--- title: "Russia welcomes US troop withdrawal from Iraq" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/russia-welcomes-us-troop-withdrawal-from-iraq" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/russia-welcomes-us-troop-withdrawal-from-iraq" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/russia-welcomes-us-troop-withdrawal-from-iraq.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/russia-welcomes-us-troop-withdrawal-from-iraq" category: "Politics" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-10-02T18:05:09.185Z" source_reported: "2026-10-02T16:56:00.000Z" updated: "2026-10-02T18:05:09.185Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 37 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-02T19:00:24.240810+00:00" --- # Russia welcomes US troop withdrawal from Iraq *Moscow states Iraq's forces are capable of ensuring national security post-withdrawal.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to a named body, but relies on anonymous sourcing for some details. - Craft 37 of 100, higher is better. Reporting includes quotes from affected parties and states what happens next. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. Language is measured and proportionate, with no sensationalism. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Russia has officially welcomed the withdrawal of US and coalition forces from Iraq. - Moscow believes Iraq's own military and security forces are capable of managing the country's defence and security. - The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the 2003 US invasion of Iraq led to decades of regional instability. - The US operation 'Inherent Resolve' against Islamists began in August 2014 without UN Security Council sanction. Russia has welcomed the withdrawal of United States and coalition forces from Iraq. The Russian Foreign Ministry, through its representative Maria Zakharova, stated that Iraq's army and security forces are capable of independently strengthening the country's defence capabilities and ensuring national security. Zakharova commented that the 2003 US invasion of Iraq led to decades of instability in the Middle East. The US operation 'Inherent Resolve' against Islamists in Iraq and Syria began in August 2014 without UN Security Council sanction. ## Coverage ## Omissions None of the left- or centre-rated outlets covered this story. The right-rated reports did not mention any specific details about the withdrawal timeline or the number of US troops involved. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 100% (7) 2 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-02T19:00:24.240810+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 5 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-02T19:15:10.185Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - Right-rated reports focused on Russia's official welcome of the US troop withdrawal from Iraq. EADaily and Interfax.ru reported that Russia's Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova stated the withdrawal was welcomed and that Iraq's army and security forces are capable of independently ensuring national security. EADaily also quoted Zakharova stating that the 2003 US invasion of Iraq had provoked decades of instability in the Middle East. vz.ru and Interfax.ru noted that the Russian authorities supported the completion of the foreign forces' mission. Life.ru and EADaily mentioned the US operation 'Inherent Resolve' began in August 2014 without UN Security Council sanction. La Tercera's headline focused on the withdrawal's impact on the balance of power in the Middle East. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - low: 1 - mixed: 3 - high: 2 - unknown: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Anadolu Ajansı](https://aa.com.tr/en/world/russia-welcomes-withdrawal-of-us-military-presence-in-iraq/4076504) — Russia Welcomes Withdrawal of US Military Presence in Iraq - [politika.rs](https://politika.rs/scc/clanak/790318/zaharova-rusija-pozdravlja-povlacenje-americkih-snaga-iz-iraka) — Zakharova: Russia Welcomes Withdrawal of US Forces From Iraq - [Life.ru](https://life.ru/p/desyatiletiya-nestabilnosti-zaharova-podvela-itog-voennogo-prisutstviya-ssha-v) — "Decade of Instability": Zaharova Summarized the United States Military Presence in Iraq - [EADaily](https://eadaily.com/ru/news/2026/10/02/sami-spravyatsya-moskva-privetstvuet-vyvod-voysk-ssha-iz-iraka) — They Can Do It — Moscow Welcomes the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops From Iraq - [vz.ru](https://vz.ru/news/2026/10/2/1458025.html) — Russia Welcomed the Withdrawal of American Troops From Iraq - [Interfax.ru](https://interfax.ru/russia/1120005) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Welcomed the Withdrawal of United States Troops and Their Allies From Iraq - [hathalyoum.net](https://hathalyoum.net/articles/4241363) — Moscow: We Welcome the Withdrawal of United States and Coalition Forces From Iraq - [news-pravda.com](https://news-pravda.com/world/2026/10/02/2636667.html) — Response of the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, M.V.Zakharova, to a question from the media regarding the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq (October 2, 2026) - [La Tercera](https://latercera.com/videos/noticia/retirada-de-las-tropas-de-eeuu-en-irak-asi-queda-el-fragil-equilibrio-de-poder-en-medio-oriente) — Withdrawal of U.S. Troops in Iraq: This Leaves the Fragile Balance of Power in the Middle East ## Questions **What is Russia's official stance on the US troop withdrawal from Iraq?** Russia officially welcomes the withdrawal of US and coalition forces from Iraq. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Iraq's army and security forces are capable of independently strengthening the country's defence capabilities and ensuring national security. **What did Russia say about the 2003 US invasion of Iraq?** The Russian Foreign Ministry representative, Maria Zakharova, commented that the 2003 US invasion of Iraq led to decades of instability in the Middle East. She described the invasion as having occurred under a pretext that provoked regional instability. **When did the US operation 'Inherent Resolve' begin?** The US operation 'Inherent Resolve' against Islamists in Iraq and Syria began in August 2014. This operation was initiated without sanction from the UN Security Council. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/russia-welcomes-us-troop-withdrawal-from-iraq. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Russia welcomes US troop withdrawal from Iraq", https://mediabias.news/politics/russia-welcomes-us-troop-withdrawal-from-iraq