Putin Tries to Put Positive Spin on Russian Setback in Syria

Putin Tries to Put Positive Spin on Russian Setback in Syria

The Russian president said that he had not yet met with Bashar al-Assad, the ousted Syrian leader who fled to Moscow, but that he planned to.

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Putin walking on a shiny floor, holding a blue folder.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia at the news conference in Moscow, which has become an annual ritual.Credit...Maxim Shemetov/Reuters

Anton Troianovski

By Anton Troianovski

Reporting from Berlin

Dec. 19, 2024, 6:33 a.m. ET

President Vladimir V. Putin said on Thursday that Russia was still considering whether to keep its military bases in Syria and claimed that most Middle Eastern countries and ruling factions in Syria wanted Russia to stay.

“I don’t know — we’ll need to think about it,” Mr. Putin said at a news conference, referring to whether Russia would keep those bases. “We’ll need to decide for ourselves how our relationships will look with those political forces that now control and will control the situation in the country in the future. Our interests need to coincide.”

Commenting about Syria for the first time since the rule of Russia’s close ally Bashar al-Assad collapsed there on Dec. 8, Mr. Putin tried to cast the stunning turn of events as something other than a defeat for Russia and to portray Russia as being in control of its own fate.

He said Russia was in touch with “all countries” in the Middle East and “all the groups that control the situation” in Syria. The “overwhelming” majority of them, he said, “tell us that they would be interested in our bases in Syria staying.”

Analysts say that, in fact, Russia’s standing as a world power is likely to suffer as a result of Mr. al-Assad’s fall, especially if it loses its Tartus naval base and Hmeimim air base in Syria. Both have been key to Russia’s ability to project its influence across Africa and the Mediterranean.

Moscow intervened in Syria’s civil war in 2015, beginning several years of fierce airstrikes that helped Mr. al-Assad stay in power.

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Syria’s Civil War: News and Analysis

Al-Assad’s Soldiers: Syria’s new rulers say they will spare conscripts of Bashar al-Assad and pursue those who oversaw his regime’s abuses. Hundreds are lining up to learn which promise applies to them.

Limits on Aid: Sanctions on the ousted Assad regime and other major obstacles could stymie Syria’s new leaders, threatening to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis that was set off by the civil war.

Austin Tice’s Disappearance: For years, the United States has collected tips about the whereabouts of the American journalist who vanished in Syria’s gruesome prison system. The list is long.

Netanyahu’s Visit: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with military officers in Israeli-controlled territory in Syria, according to his office. The trip highlighted Israel’s new presence across the de facto border with Syria.

Putin Stays Silent: In an hourlong televised meeting with his top military brass, President Vladimir Putin of Russia left Syria unmentioned and made it clear that winning in Ukraine was his top priority.