Despite troops’ withdrawal, Russia aims at consolidating its military presence in Syria

Tabnak – After declaring the start of withdrawing its troops from Syria, Russia has focused more on finding a political settlement for the Syrian crisis. However, this does not mean that the Russians are completely shifting their Syrian strategy from military to the political sphere. 

In this vein, Russia has started establishing a permanent military presence at naval and air bases in Syria, the defense minister said on Tuesday as parliament ratified a deal with Damascus to cement Russian presence in the country, the RIA news agency reported.

The deal, signed on Jan. 18 will expand the Tartus naval facility, Russia’s only naval foothold in the Mediterranean, and grant Russian warships access to Syrian waters and ports, Viktor Bondarev, head of the upper house security and defense committee, told RIA.

RIA news agency separately quoted Sergei Shoigu as saying: “Last week the Commander-in-Chief (President Vladimir Putin) approved the structure and the bases in Tartus and in Hmeimim (air base). We have begun forming a permanent presence there.”

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that although Moscow currently sees no need for a heavy military presence in Syria, it will continue its counter-terrorism battle in the Arab state.

“There is no need for such a widespread use of the Russian armed forces in Syria, as it was before, although we have two stationing sites, and we, of course, will continue the fight against terrorism, including in the territory of Syria, if necessary we will work there selectively,” Putin said at a meeting with Russian lawmakers on Monday.

Putin also referred to the process of Russian forces’ pullout from Syria after the collapse of ISIS terrorist group, noting that the scale of Moscow’s counter-terrorism activities in the Arab country would be smaller than it previously was.

The expanding military cooperation between Russia and Syria comes against the background of a successful partnership in the fight against terror. Russia began its involvement in Syria in September 2015, when Damascus submitted an official request.

Relying on the assistance, Syria has managed to liberate large swathes of lands from the grip of terrorists, including Aleppo, Syria’s largest city in the north, which was recaptured last years, and Dayr al-Zawr, a main bastion of the ISIS terrorists in the east of the country.

Besides its role on the battlefield, Russia, along with Iran and Turkey, has been mediating a peace process between Syrian warring sides in the Kazakh capital, Astana, since January.

The latest round of Astana talks took place earlier this month, during which the three mediators as well as Syrian government delegates and the 20-member opposition team agreed to hold a Moscow-proposed “peace congress” in late January in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi as part of efforts to find a political solution to the six-year Syrian conflict.