Russia seeks to keep a reduced military presence in Syria, a key objective for President Vladimir Putin after the ousting of his previous ally, former president Bashar al-Assad, Bloomberg reports Monday.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Putin is close to a deal with the new self-appointed Syrian President, Ahmad al-Sharaa (Jolani), which would allow the Russian military to maintain some staff and equipment in the country.
The sources speaking with Bloomberg requested anonymity as they were not authorized to comment publicly. One of the sources claims Russia hopes to keep the same naval and air bases it used in Syria before Assad’s government fell on December 8 to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
The Russian naval base in Tartous on the Syrian coast is its only port in the Mediterranean. Russia’s Syrian air base is currently located in Hmeimim.
Sharaa and Putin spoke over the phone for the first time on February 12, suggesting that the negotiations are moving in a positive direction, Bloomberg reported.
Putin told Sharaa he was ready to provide aid to help Syria’s economy, which has been devastated in recent years due to US-imposed sanctions.
Russia recently sent a shipment of newly printed Syrian pounds to the country to alleviate a cash shortage that is hindering economic activity. The currency had been printed in Russia on behalf of Syria’s central bank before Assad's fall.
As head of HTS, Sharaa led the insurgency against the Syrian government that began in 2011 with US, Israeli, Turkish, and Gulf backing.
Putin ordered Russia’s air force to intervene in 2015 to prevent Sharaa and HTS (then known as the Nusra Front) from capturing Damascus and imposing extremist religious rule on the diverse country.
When HTS launched a lightning offensive in November to topple the Syrian government, Assad and his family were evacuated to Moscow.
President Putin also spoke with US President Donald Trump last week. Negotiations over the war between Russia and Ukraine are set to begin soon. The US has provided strong backing to Ukraine, causing the war to drag on for three years.
Russia could assist with the fight against ISIS, which is active in Syria’s east, the anonymous sources told Bloomberg. If Russia is able to maintain an air and naval base in the country, it could help the Syrian president counterbalance Turkiye’s strong influence on Damascus, one of them said.