Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) visiting the historic Ummayad Mosque with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) in old Damascus, January 2020. Photo: AFP via SANA
Asia Times: Russia handcuffed to Syria’s failing state
Moscow continues to expend scarce capital on an Assad regime that has offered little economic or geopolitical returns
All the standard public relations ploys were in evidence for the recent meeting between Syria’s leader Bashar al-Assad and Russian envoy Alexander Lavrentiev in Damascus. More than 230 officials from 30 federal executive bodies, five Russian regions, and the Russian defense ministry had trekked to the Syrian capital.
There were 15 agreements and memorandums on “key areas of Russian-Syrian cooperation.” The return of refugees from neighboring countries was said to be a “national priority.” The Assad regime and the Kremlin “affirmed the need for reconstruction and liquidation of terrorist hotbeds.”
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Update: Russia and Syria: bound together in a mission that is far from accomplished (Scott Lucas, The Conversation).
WNU Editor: In exchange for billions in aid and a permanent military commitment, Russia gets a naval and airforce base.
It is not worth it.
Syria is also a failed state that will need tens of billions to rebuild. Good luck on raising funds to finance that reconstruction project.
On top of everything else the war in Syria is still ongoing .... Assad regime, Russia continue to target Syria’s Idlib (Daily Sabah).
