Russia

Report: Russia Nears Deal with New Syrian Leadership over Military Bases

DEC 13 2024·Updated DEC 14 2024

Story

Above: A Russian Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft lands at the Russian military base of Hmeimim, located southeast of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Syria, on Sept. 26, 2019. Image credit: Mixime Popov/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

Russia's defense ministry is nearing an agreement with Syria's new leadership over the fate of its two military bases in the country, a number of sources told Bloomberg on Thursday.
Bloomberg via Archive.ph
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government last weekend, questions arose about Russia's ongoing presence at the Tartous naval base and the Hmeimim air base — both located on Syria's west coast on the Mediterranean.
BBC News
However, earlier in the week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "premature" to speculate on the bases' future, stating, "Everything possible is now being done to get in touch with those involved in ensuring security and, of course, our military is also taking all the necessary precautions."
BBC News
Since then, a source in Russia told Bloomberg that Russia's defense ministry has reached an informal agreement with Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) — the former Al-Qaeda affiliate that swept through Syria and deposed Assad — allowing Russia to remain at the sites. However, the source cautioned that the situation could yet change amid the instability.
Bloomberg.com
Meanwhile, Russian state-controlled media outlets have softened their language towards HTS, initially describing the group as "terrorists" but have since labeled them "armed opposition."
guardian

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-Russia narrative

Russian diplomats have established contact with representatives of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham and are engaging with them on a number of issues to protect Russian interests in the region.

TASS

Pro-establishment narrative

After initially branding them terrorists, Russia now realizes it will have to negotiate with Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham if they're to keep their bases. They're likely to offer them a number of resources such as money and oil and gas, but it's not clear whether they will be successful.

guardian