Русский
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya has stated that Russian troops will be staying at their bases in Syria, as Moscow continues to hold talks with the new Syrian government in Damascus. Nebenzya said that “Russian servicemen will stay where they are. We are talking to the current Syrian government.”
Syria’s armed opposition units started a major offensive on government troops at the end of November and entered Damascus on December 8. Bashar Assad resigned as president, left the country and is now in exile in Moscow. That has created some political differences between Syria and Moscow, although for now Russia has taken a pragmatic approach and are supporting the new government. The new Damascus regime also requires military and economic assistance to prevent a return to civil war. Russia has a naval base in Tartus and the Hmeimim airbase near the port city of Latakia.
The de facto leader of Syria is now Ahmad al-Sharaa, also known under his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who heads the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is currently designated as a terrorist organisation in Russia. On January 29, he declared himself the country’s interim president for a period that he said could last four to five years.
However, as we have just seen with the Russian relationship with the Taliban, political trust can be rebuilt and longer-term relationships secured.
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