Al-Sharaa meets Putin as Russia seeks to secure military bases in Syria

"Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is meeting Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow as the latter seeks to secure a military presence in the country following the toppling of former Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad in 2024. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed ahead of Wednesday's meeting that talks would focus on the presence of our soldiers in Syria, who are located at the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base on Syria's Mediterranean coast."

"Earlier this week, the Kremlin reportedly withdrew its forces from the Qamishli airport in Kurdish-held northeast Syria, leaving it with only its two Mediterranean bases now its only military outposts outside the former Soviet Union. Moscow has been working to build relations with al-Sharaa since his rebel forces toppled longtime ruler al-Assad in December 2024, aiming to ensure its continued military presence in the country, which serves to bolster its influence in the Middle East."

"Despite Putin's backing of al-Assad with extensive military support, the new rulers in Damascus have taken a pragmatic approach to relations with Russia, allowing Moscow to retain a presence at its air and naval bases. Al-Sharaa struck a conciliatory tone during his first visit to the Kremlin in October, but Russia's sheltering of al-Assad and his wife, who fled to Moscow after the rebel uprising, remains a thorny issue. Peskov declined to indicate whether the Kremlin would agree"

Russian and Syrian leaders met in Moscow to negotiate the continued stationing of Russian forces at the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base after the 2024 overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. The Kremlin confirmed talks would focus on those military presences while recent withdrawals from Qamishli airport left only the two Mediterranean bases as Moscow's sole outposts outside the former Soviet Union. Moscow has cultivated ties with President Ahmed al-Sharaa since his rebel forces ousted al-Assad, aiming to secure basing rights despite Russian sheltering of al-Assad and his wife in Moscow. Extradition requests for al-Assad remain unresolved amid growing U.S.-al-Sharaa cooperation.

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