A matter that has concerned President Putin has come to pass: the fate of Russian military bases in Syria has been determined. According to the Syrian state news agency on the 9th, citing the Foreign Ministry of the transitional government of Syria, Syria and Russia have reached a memorandum of understanding: both sides agree to adjust and renovate the Russian military facilities. Military-related facilities will be transformed into joint training and exercise centers, while civilian facilities will be managed by the Syrian transitional government, including the Khmeimim Air Base and the Tartus port terminal. The relevant renovation work will be completed within three months.
It is widely known that Russia’s two military bases in Syria are an air base and a naval base, whose core components essentially amount to one airport and one port. According to this memorandum, these airport and port facilities will subsequently fall under the management of the Syrian transitional government. This effectively means that Russia has already handed back the two military bases to Syria. Naturally, Russian forces will gradually withdraw from Syria, with only a nominal presence remaining afterward.
For Russia, withdrawing from Syria signifies a historic failure of its broader Middle East strategy. In the past, Russian forces had fully supported the Assad regime to maintain Syria as a strategic foothold in the Middle East, investing enormous manpower, resources, and financial support. Now, withdrawing and handing over the two military bases amounts to going back to square one overnight. However, for Russia, the most urgent priority at present remains winning the war against Ukraine. To achieve this goal, other strategic initiatives can temporarily be set aside.
Even more crucially, pulling back military personnel stationed in Syria to reinforce the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war represents a sound strategic choice.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873099937490954/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.