Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss cooperation between the two nations, as Russia aims to bolster its security presence in the region following Bashar al-Assad’s removal.
Speaking at a news conference before the two leaders’ meeting, al-Sharaa praised Russia for its support to a unified Syria and for helping “stabilise” the country.
Putin also expressed his support for the al-Sharaa government and its efforts to stabilise Syria, while congratulating the President on the momentum gained towards “restoring the territorial integrity of Syria”.
Both leaders had spent more than a decade opposing each other during Syria’s deadly civil war, which has prompted concerns in Moscow about the future presence of the Russian military in the country.
Just before the talks took place between the two sides, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said “the presence of our soldiers in Syria” would be discussed.
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“They are stationed at the Khmeimim airbase and the Tartous naval base in Syria’s Mediterranean coastal region,” he said.
The two nations share historic relations dating back to the Cold War period when the Soviet Union provided extensive military and other types of support to the Ba'athist regime in Damascus, led first by Hafez al-Assad and then his son Bashar.
Concerns persist in Moscow over its future influence, particularly as Russia continues to shelter Assad in exile.
Russia played a crucial role in defeating ISIS in the country, providing support for military operations and airstrikes since 2015.
Meanwhile, the Syrian President, last month, requested the extradition of the former President Bashar al-Assad, saying, “There would be justice for Syrians who were victims of the former president’s repression.”
Syria remains the only country in the Middle East hosting Russian military bases, making it immensely important for President Putin’s initiative of a proactive policy after losing influence in Venezuela earlier this month.
On Tuesday, Russian Defence Minister Andrey Removich Belousov said after a meeting with his Chinese counterpart that Moscow was closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela and in Iran, which has close ties with Russia and has been facing threats of attack from the US in recent weeks.
According to varied sources, nearly one million people in Syria died in the 14-year long civil war, which also displaced approximately 12-13 million people, both internally and externally.
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