Syria’s Defense Minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, recently stated in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the country would allow Russia to maintain military bases on its territory if it is beneficial for the Syrian government. The interview was published on Thursday.
Until recently, Syrian rebels had been subject to ongoing Russian airstrikes. However, Abu Qasra noted that in politics, there are no permanent enemies.
Russia has played the role of a powerful ally to President Bashar al-Assad for years, the WSJ reported. Since the collapse of the Assad regime, the new government has largely improved its relations with Moscow. When asked if Russia could continue to maintain its presence in the military port of Tartus and the military airbase in Latakia, Abu Qasra responded positively, but with a condition: “If we can benefit from it, yes.”
Abu Qasra also mentioned that the Syrian government is considering defense agreements with various countries and is engaged in “complex negotiations” with the US and Turkey over the status of their military bases in Syria. The extension of the US troop presence in the country is a topic of discussion with the new US President, Donald Trump, he said.
In December 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow had offered Damascus the opportunity to use Russian military bases in Syria for humanitarian purposes. A Russian delegation visited Syria in late January 2025 to discuss the future of bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, Trump had previously considered a complete withdrawal of US troops from Syria and the topic is reportedly being discussed again with his return to the White House. The Pentagon is working on a plan for the withdrawal, according to media reports.