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Conflict in Syria

New authorities in Syria to avoid escalating tensions with Russia — expert

Vitaly Naumkin underscored that the new Syrian authorities are not "friends of the collective West, or the United States or Israel"

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/. The new political regime in Syria does not want to escalate tensions with Russia owing to its military presence there and Russia’s role in maintaining stability in the region, Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Oriental Studies Vitaly Naumkin said during the Valdai international discussion club session.

"It is quite obvious that the new forces in Syria are not interested in ruffling relations with Russia because of the military bases Russia has there, as well as its role in upholding at least some semblance of stability and preceding Syria’s complete dissolution," he said, adding that many things will depend on Russia itself.

Naumkin noted that Russia has invested a lot of "effort and resources" to aid Syria in its fight for statehood, adding that Russia must carefully consider what it will do in the current situation.

The expert underscored that the new Syrian authorities are not "friends of the collective West, or the United States or Israel." At the same time, the scholar questioned "who would be a friend to the new Syria" and whether they would be ready to provide material support to the Arab republic. In his opinion, there is currently no answer to that question.

On November 27, Syria’s armed opposition launched a large-scale offensive against government forces in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib. By the evening of December 7, President Bashar Assad’s opponents had seized several major cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Daraa, and Homs. On December 8, they entered Damascus, forcing the army to withdraw from the capital. Assad resigned 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 until March 1, 2025.

On December 13, a TASS source said that Russia is negotiating with the new Syrian authorities on keeping its two military bases in the Arab republic. According to the source, Russia obtained temporary guarantees of security, so the military bases operate as normal.

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Syrian conflict

Conflict in Syria

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