Syria demands reparations from Russia

Syria has demanded reparations from Russia in order to “rebuild trust” after a meeting between Damascus’ new administration and a Moscow delegation, according to local news sources.

Russia and Syria’s meeting to discuss future relations comes as Moscow looks to retain its two military bases in the Middle Eastern country.

Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates for comment via email.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov attending the opening night of a series of literary and musical evenings in Moscow, Russia on November 13, 2024.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov attending the opening night of a series of literary and musical evenings in Moscow, Russia on November 13, 2024.
Alexey Maishev/Associated Press

Why It Matters

The relationship between the new Syrian administration and Russia is likely to be complex, as Moscow had strong ties to the former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad‘s regime. Russia had provided the exiled leader’s regime with ample military resources and funding.

Moscow’s troops also were attacked by Damascus rebel groups when they launched the wide-scale military operation in December, and at one point, Russian troops were trapped in Syria.

What To Know

In the meeting on January 28, Russia expressed its support for the changes taking place in Syria and Damascus’ new administration pushed for reparations through “compensation, reconstruction, and recovery,” according to the Syrian Arab News Agency. The two countries also spoke about finding “mechanisms for transitional justice aimed at ensuring accountability and achieving justice for the victims of the brutal war waged by the Assad regime.”

Syria also stressed that Russia must “address past mistakes” and “respect the will of the Syrian people and serve their interests.”

In the meeting, the Russian delegation “reiterated its unwavering support for the unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic, along with its readiness to extend essential assistance to the Syrian people in their post-crisis national recovery,” reported a Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs press statement.

The discussion of reparations comes as Russia looks to retain its two military bases in the country. Moscow’s delegation, headed by Mikhail Bogdanov, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke with Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, the head of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

If they cannot retain the two military bases, Russia will lose its foothold in the Middle East and Mediterranean. Management of the Tartous naval base has already been revoked from Russia and allocated to Syria when the country terminated a 49-year investment contract with Moscow.

In return for retaining the military bases, a Syrian source familiar with the discussions told Reuters that Sharaa requested Russia return Assad, who fled to Moscow and sought asylum after his regime was ousted in December. When asked to confirm if Syria had requested Russia return Assad and provide compensation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment.

The two military bases Russia operates in Syria are the Tartous naval base, located in the city of Tartus, and the Hmeymim air base, in the coastal province of Latakia. The Tartous base was acquired in 1971 under a bilateral agreement, and the Hmeymim air base was set up in 2015 to aid the Syrian army in combatting Islamic State.

What People Are Saying

Discussing the meeting with Syria, Bogdanov told journalists: “The meeting went well overall. It lasted three hours, including an official dinner. The conversation was mainly led by the head of the new administration of the interim government of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Asaad al-Shibani also took part in the negotiations, and the Minister of Health Maher al-Sharaa, who is Ahmed al-Sharaa’s older brother, and our interdepartmental delegation were also present. The meeting was generally constructive, there was a good atmosphere. But we understand how difficult the situation [in the country] is.”

He added that Russia has maintained “unwavering support for the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty” of the country” and said: “This is the most important thing. The fact that Syria has been going through in recent years, and the fact that there has been a change of leadership in such a dramatic way, does not change our assessments and our readiness to help stabilize the situation in order to find adequate solutions to socio-political and socio-economic problems.”

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Aleksandar Djokic, a political analyst and journalist, wrote: “During the first visit of a Russian delegation to Damascus since the fall of the Assad regime, the new Syrian authorities demanded that Moscow acknowledge “past mistakes” and pay compensation. This demand was stated in a statement by the Syrian authorities following the talks.”

“The long-term status of the two Russian bases in Syria remains unresolved. Given that Syrian authorities are seeking capital from Russia, it seems they have initiated a bidding war, in which the U.S. and Europe could also participate, should they desire Russia’s complete withdrawal from Syria.”

What Happens Next

It remains to be seen how far Russia is willing to go and how much it will commit to retaining its two military bases in Syria.

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