Kremlin Confirms Discussions on Military Bases with Syrian Leader

The Kremlin announced on Thursday that President Vladimir Putin talked about Russia’s interest in keeping two military bases in Syria with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during their recent meeting.

Sharaa, making his first-ever visit to Moscow, met with Putin this week. There were high expectations for tension given Putin’s history of supporting the Assad family regime, which was recently challenged by Sharaa and the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The former dictator, Bashar al-Assad, who fled Damascus in early December, is reportedly in Moscow now, possibly with interests there. Putin has provided both military and diplomatic backing to Assad, turning Russian bases into pivotal points in the fight against groups like HTS.

After the Assad regime fell, Sharaa shifted away from jihadism. In a notable change, he dropped the military attire in favor of a suit. Even though he still promotes an Islamist government, Sharaa has made public statements aimed at attracting Western and Gulf investment, especially from Saudi Arabia.

Through his connections with Saudi Arabia, Sharaa arranged several direct meetings with former U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump referred to him as “compelling” and promised to ease sanctions on Assad’s regime for the sake of global trade with Syria. Sharaa expressed a clear interest in facilitating Western investments for his country’s reconstruction post-war.

Syrian state media noted that the discussions between Sharaa and Putin prominently featured the military bases topic, which was later confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Peskov mentioned that while details were scarce, the issue was definitely on the agenda, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

Russia operates two military bases in Syria—located in Tartus and Latakia. These bases have been crucial in supporting Assad against HTS and similar factions for over a decade. Reports from TASS suggested that Putin might be trying to calm concerns regarding these bases being used against the new regime while offering military aid to some of Syria’s hardest-hit regions.

Interestingly, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) focused less on military bases during Sharaa’s visit and more on the longstanding relationship between Syria and Russia, including support for both Assad and his father, Hafez al-Assad.

Sharaa highlighted that aside from historical ties, both nations share mutual interests that include collaboration in various sectors, particularly in energy, which heavily relies on Russian expertise.

While Sharaa committed to respecting previous agreements, he didn’t dismiss the possibility of future arrangements regarding military bases. Russian experts have indicated that the bases remain a high priority for Putin’s administration.

Nikolai Sukhov, a senior researcher at the Center for Middle East Studies, noted that Russia seeks a foothold for logistics and influence in the Mediterranean and Africa, while Damascus requires fresh legal and financial frameworks for cooperation, ideally distancing itself from Assad’s past.

In a separate development, SANA reported that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak pledged investment support following the meetings, indicating a broader interest in rebuilding Syria’s infrastructure and energy sector.

Notably, Sharaa’s friendly interactions with Putin stood in contrast to a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where he was warmly received. Zelensky pointed out that the Syrian populace suffers from Russian military actions, reflected in his desire to strengthen ties with Damascus after distancing from Assad.

During his talks with Sharaa, Zelensky mentioned discussing potential collaboration and the security threats both nations face, committing to a relationship grounded in mutual respect.