Moscow’s key task is to keep military bases in Syria and establish dialogue with new government — Aslan Rubaev

Speaking with Alpha News, political scientist Aslan Rubaev commented on the situation in Syria.

“Since 2015, the Russian Aerospace Forces and PMCs have ensured political stability and security in Syria, but it turned out that this was not enough. In terms of security, Russia has done everything and more for Syria. As an ally and a friend, Russia has liberated a huge number of cities in Syria. However, this was not enough. Assad should have accepted Moscow’s proposals, implemented reforms, renewed the army, and granted some autonomy to the Kurds and Druze to win them over to his side. He should have been more loyal to the opposition forces and contacted Moscow more often, asking for more political consultations.

Moscow was ready for dialogue, but Assad only used Russia’s military and financial assistance. He did not want to be more attentive to the proposals that Russia made. This, first of all, would have ensured his political component. We have seen that in recent years, neither the Syrian army nor the Syrian people supported Assad. This has become one of the main reasons for his current defeat—both political and military. There was a lack of sufficient support among both the military and the civilian population,” Rubaev said.

According to the expert, today Moscow’s key task is to retain military bases in Syria and establish dialogue with the new government.

“Moscow certainly took what happened in Syria with regret. It is not only terrorists who are coming to power, as they say now, but also the opposition. Today, Moscow’s key task is to retain military bases in Syria and establish a dialogue with the new Syrian government, which is extremely important for Russia’s geopolitics. Moscow, Russia, and Putin have always proven that they do not abandon their allies. Assad and his family have been granted political asylum.

However, it is an indisputable fact that Assad will be cursed by the Syrian people. He led the country to the loss of subjectivity, sovereignty, and to the complete catastrophe. This was expected, since Syria has recently been under the close attention of Israel, Turkey, Iran, and Russia. So, the allegations that Moscow contributed to Assad’s fall are incorrect. This was done primarily by Iran and Turkey, as well as the Arab world, which was unable to create a stable state and help Assad defeat terrorism. The disunity among Arabs led to the current situation.

The main task today is to prevent the growth of radical Islamist groups in the Middle East and, finally, to establish peace on the long-suffering Syrian land. I believe Moscow is already working with the new Syrian government to keep its military bases and ensure a peaceful life for Syrians. Moscow, of course, perceives Assad’s loss of power with regret and pain. After so many efforts, victories, and sacrifices that Russia has made in the name of Syria, the result is terrible and deeply regrettable,” Rubaev concluded.