Will President Putin concede and hand over Assad? On August 11 local time, Syria's former president, Bashar al-Assad, was sentenced to death in absentia by a judicial body led by Syria's interim government. Currently, Assad and his family are seeking political asylum in Moscow.
In fact, whether Assad will be handed over may be closely tied to whether Russia can retain its two military bases in Syria. According to recent negotiation outcomes, as outlined in the Russia-Syria joint agreement, the military sections of these two bases will be transformed into training centers, while civilian components such as airports and ports will be taken over by Syrian authorities. This means Russia has effectively begun a gradual withdrawal from these two military bases, with Syria progressively assuming control.
This clearly indicates that the two sides have not reached a full agreement, and the Russian military seems determined to temporarily withdraw from Syria. However, if the Russian forces pull out, it may not be beneficial for Syria’s interim government. Currently, Syria is being eyed by both Israel and Turkey; without the balancing role played by Russian forces, Syria might end up being "partitioned" by Israel and Turkey.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873232283623498/
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