Despite the change in leadership, Syria aims to maintain Russia’s military presence. This highlights the importance of keeping long-standing ties between the two countries. The new approach could impact Syria’s future on the international stage.
Al Jazeera has released a new video that it says shows Russian combat jets still at Khmeimim Air Base in Syria despite ongoing withdrawals. The fate of Russia’s presence at Khmeimim, as well as at its Tartus naval base, remains a hot topic of interest globally three weeks after the fall of long-time Syrian dictator and ally of Moscow Bashar Al Assad.
Just this weekend, the head of the rebel coalition that ousted Assad pushed back on calls for a complete disengagement with the Kremlin, including when it comes to military affairs.
Al Sharaa, still better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad Al Jolani (and other simply just as Jolani), is head of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the rebel coalition that deposed Assad.
“All of Syria’s arms are of Russian origin, and many power plants are managed by Russian experts,” Al Sharaa further told Al Arabiya, while also highlighting the “deep strategic interests” of what he described as the “second most powerful country in the world.”
Al-Sharaa’s comments show a clear intent to preserve the relationship with Russia. This is crucial for Syria’s strategic interests. The new leadership is keen on ensuring that Russia remains a key ally.
In his interview with Al Arabiya, Al Sharaa also said that “Syria cannot continue without relations with an important regional country like Iran,” but stressed that relations “must be based on respect for the sovereignty of both countries and noninterference in the affairs of both countries.” The HTS leader has been particularly vocal in his criticism of the regime in Tehran, another one of Assad’s major foreign benefactors, and how it wields its regional influence.
As the fledging government in Damascus works to move Syria beyond its pariah status under Assad, it is also facing pressure to realign itself, particularly away from Russia. Ukraine has notably been positioning itself as an alternative partner for the new Syrian government. Ukrainian operatives had reportedly worked with Syrian rebel groups, particularly when it came to providing assistance in expanding their kamikaze drone capabilities, in the lead-up to the fall of Assad.
“We believe that from a strategic point of view, the removal of Russia’s presence in Syria will contribute to the stability of not only the Syrian state but the entire Middle East and Africa,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a statement around an official visit to Damascus just today where he met with Al Sharaa and others. “The Russian and Assad regimes supported each other because they were based on violence and torture.”
For their part, Russian authorities have persistently claimed that no final decision has been reached on Khmeimim and Tartus, despite reports that they could be on the verge of being forced out of Syria.