Syria witnessed a radical and wide-ranging transformation after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024. Almost immediately, questions arose as to whether Russia would be able to maintain its military bases and political influence in a post-Assad Syria; and early reports of troop evacuations and equipment withdrawals seemed to point toward a possible, if not necessarily inevitable, exit. However, six months later, the Russian military presence has remained entrenched in strategic locations such as the Hmeimim airbase and Tartous port on the coast, as well as at Qamishli airport in the northeast. This persistence has reignited an increasingly pressing debate about Moscow’s role in the new Syria: is Russia acting in good faith as a stabilizing actor, or has its presence become an instrument of pressure hobbling the political and security transition?
Russia’s military presence in post-Assad Syria: A growing security liability undermining stability (Samer al-Ahmed – Middle East Institute)
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