MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he’s not sure if Russia will keep its bases in Syria as everything depends on if this suits both parties, and it is as yet unclear how relations will shape up with the country’s new authorities .

"The vast majority (of the countries of the region - TASS) tell us that they would like our military bases to stay up in Syria. Still, I don’t know, we need to think it over," Putin noted at his combined annual press conference and question-and-answer session.

"We need to decide for ourselves how to develop our relations with the political forces that are in control of the situation in the country and will control it in the future. Our interests should coincide," he explained.

"If we stay there, it means we should do something in the interests of the host country. What will those interests be? What will we be able to do for them? This is a question that requires careful consideration from both sides," Putin added.

In late November, armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on positions held by Syrian government forces. On December 8, they entered Damascus, prompting government troops to withdraw from the capital. Bashar Assad resigned as Syrian president and left the country. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who had led the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Idlib Province since January 2024, announced his appointment as head of Syria’s interim government. The interim period is expected to last until March 1, 2025.