Russia urged dialogue between the Syrian Government and Rojava as a means to prevent the partition of Syria.[53][lower-alpha 1] However, several weeks later, during a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his support for a buffer zone in principle, stating that Turkey had been shouldering a "huge refugee load" and had "legitimate concerns" over the security of it's southern borders.[54] Iran - Iran condemned the agreement, considering it a "provocative and worrying step", which it deemed to violate the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.[55][56][lower-alpha 1]