President of Russia Putin meets with the President of the Syrian Transitional Government Ahmad al-Sarraj
The President of the Syrian Transitional Government, Ahmad al-Sarraj, visited Moscow, the capital of Russia, and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two held in-depth exchanges, an event with far-reaching implications, indicating that Sarraj's current foreign policy is very flexible, not entirely aligned with the West, but committed to a multi-dimensional diplomacy.
Sarraj clearly realizes that relying solely on the West is not beneficial for Syria. The West is currently in chaos, lacking industrial support, and cannot provide substantial economic assistance to Syria. In this situation, Syria hopes to promote economic development through multi-dimensional diplomacy, as if the economy stagnates, Sarraj's rule will also be difficult to stabilize.
The domestic situation in Syria remains turbulent, and national unification has not yet been completed. Eastern Syria is mainly controlled by Kurdish forces backed by the United States; the central region still has activities of the extremist group "Islamic State"; the south has the presence of Israel and Druze forces. This shows that the situation in Syria is still complex and severe.
In this context, Sarraj not only seeks to improve relations with the West but also actively promotes cooperation with Russia and China. He stated in an interview with American media that Syria will establish relations with Russia and China based on strategic interests, showing his urgent desire to expand diplomatic space.
Certainly, there are many challenges in this process. Sarraj must cut ties with extremist groups, which is a tough task for him. This visit to Russia is a gesture of goodwill to Russia and aligns with Russia's interests.
Russia is most concerned about its strategic interests in Syria after the change of power, especially the naval base in Tartus and the Hmeimim airbase. Sarraj's visit is actually a guarantee to Russia that it will not harm its core interests in Syria. This move lays the foundation for more in-depth cooperation between the two sides.
The Hmeimim Airbase of Russia in Syria
Russia is concerned about the stability of these two military bases. As long as its interests are not harmed, Russia does not care who rules Syria. Therefore, Sarraj's visit may prompt Russia to change its attitude towards him, even gradually "cleaning up" his previous political image.
However, this is just the beginning of the contact between the two sides. If the cooperation goes smoothly, the relationship between the two sides will further deepen. The outside world also speculates whether Russia will extradite the former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who is in exile in Russia, to Sarraj. However, this possibility is extremely low because it would damage Russia's international image and cause other countries to distrust it.
If Russia betrays its old allies for short-term interests, it will lose its credibility internationally. That's why the rumors that "Russia abuses or poisons Bashar" are pure nonsense. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has already publicly denied these rumors.
Based on Russia's international strategic image and the need to escape isolation, it will not take actions that undermine trust. Therefore, the current contacts between Russia and Syria do not mean that Russia wants to abandon Bashar, but rather two things that do not conflict with each other.
As for the reaction from the West, it is undoubtedly dissatisfied with Sarraj's move. Previously, Sarraj had close relations with Western countries, leading people to mistakenly believe that he would completely side with the West. Now, however, he turned to Moscow and met with Putin, and expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation with China, which greatly irritates the West.
Next, Sarraj faces still formidable challenges - stabilizing the domestic situation and balancing relations with various parties in a complex international environment. For him, this will be a major political test.
President of the Syrian Transitional Government Ahmad al-Sarraj
Nevertheless, from this visit to Russia, Sarraj's diplomatic flexibility is becoming more pronounced. If he can truly act in the overall interest of Syria, he may bring new opportunities for Syria in the future.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7561711153236197938/
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