Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa Meets With Putin in Moscow

Latest Developments 

• Sharaa in Russia: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on October 15, aiming to “restore and define the nature of this relationship” between the two nations. While details from the meeting were sparse, the two leaders reportedly discussed “regional and international developments of mutual interest” and explored “ways to develop cooperation to serve the common interests of both countries.” Russian delegations previously visited Syria in both January and September following the Sharaa-led ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a stalwart Russian ally, while Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani traveled to Moscow in July.
• Russia’s Military Bases in Syria: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated ahead of the discussions that maintaining Russian military bases in Syria was on the agenda. Though Sharaa did not publicly mention Russian bases during televised remarks before the meeting, he emphasized the importance of redeveloping the “historic ties” between Moscow and Damascus. For its part, Syrian officials are reportedly seeking to prevent Russia from rearming “remnants” of Assad’s forces, a Syrian source told Reuters. Sharaa is also hoping that Russia will assist with the rebuilding of the Syrian army.
• Russia Committed Atrocities Supporting Assad: Russia backed Assad during the brutal 13-year Syrian Civil War, committing numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity. Many of the atrocities were committed in Idlib province, the stronghold of Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) organization, where he previously served as “emir.” Russian attacks targeted vital civilian infrastructure with no military function, including homes, hospitals, markets, schools, and refugee camps. According to the Syrian Civil Defense, more than 12,000 Syrian civilians were killed or injured by Russian airstrikes between 2015 and 2020, and more than 1 million were displaced. 

FDD Expert Response

“Syrians have forgotten neither Moscow’s complicity in the atrocities of the Assad regime nor the war crimes Russian forces committed of their own accord, such as bombing Syrian hospitals. Yet facing turmoil at home, Sharaa has chosen the prudent course of cordial relations with Putin, whose support will be necessary to ensure the lifting of UN terrorism sanctions on Sharaa, dating to his time as an al-Qaeda commander.” — David Adesnik, Vice President of Research

“It’s surreal to see Putin and Sharaa meet just 11 months after Russian warplanes were bombing Sharaa’s forces as they advanced toward Damascus. Sharaa’s strategy is to play all sides — using ties with Moscow to signal to the West that he doesn’t depend solely on them. For their part, the Russians have every incentive to maintain close relations with Syria to safeguard their military foothold and bases along the Syrian coast.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“Buying the Hatchet,” by Ahmad Sharawi

“After sectarian clashes in Aleppo, US, SDF, and Syrian government officials meet in Damascus,” by Seth J. Frantzman

“Will Syria’s New President Live Up to the World’s Hope? The Signs Aren’t Good,” by Hussain Abdul-Hussian

“The Quiet Return of Hezbollah’s Smuggling Network in Syria,” by Ahmad Sharawi