Description: Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Syrian interim President Ahmed Al Sharaa in Moscow, where the leaders touched upon several subjects of bilateral importance. The once adversaries in the civil war in Syria issued cordial statements of cooperation and continued progress for the Syrian people while also avoiding sensitive subjects such as the potential extradition of former President Bashar Al Assad. Putin and Al Sharaa discussed the state of the Russian military bases in Tartous and Hmeimim which according to the Syrian President would continue to operate and potentially expand. The other important subject was energy cooperation, with Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Alexander Novak, claiming that Russia still provides oil to Syria and develops the fields in crucial areas in the country that have been destroyed by the civil war. The Syrian President backed up his previous statements with the diplomatic visit to Moscow when he claimed that engaging Russia would be too costly and strategically unsavory for Syria under present circumstances.
Impact: Russia and Syria’s strategic rekindling comes as a result of previous bilateral ties and enormous Russian presence in the country through military bases. Al Sharaa has opted to lead a multi – vectored foreign policy garnering support and creating allies internationally instead of polarizing the country towards the direction of one global power. By reestablishing closer ties to Russia and allowing continued military presence in the country, the Syrian leader aims at limiting the usage of his country as a field for a proxy war with the US or other key allies such as Turkey or Saudi Arabia and at the same time ensures necessary reconstructive and investment capital for rebuilding the country. Russia’s benefits would reflect on maintaining its presence and limited relevance on the Middle East, which has significantly decreased since the war in Ukraine and the 12 – day war between the US, Israel and Iran this year, and was especially emphasized by Russia cancelling the Arab summit in Moscow scheduled for later this week. Russia also secures a stable footprint in a strategically important country by guaranteeing the continuity of operations in its military bases. Energy is the gluing ingredient in the present state of bilateral relations, since Russia ensures alternative market for its natural gas and offers Syria support and expertise in developing its own energy capacities.