The Russian report and Syria’s denial: Is Moscow trying to preserve its grip on Damascus?
Amid tensions between the Syrian regime and minorities – mainly the Druze communities in southern Syria – Russia is once again showing interest in the region, according to a report on Kan Reshet Bet radio on Wednesday morning.
Earlier this month, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visited Russia for the first time since the fall of the Assad regime.
As a reminder, the former president was granted political asylum in Moscow along with his family after the coup in December 2024.
According to a report in the Russian state-affiliated newspaper Kommersant, the Syrian official asked Russia to reinstate Russian military police patrols along the border with Israel – as was customary before the fall of Assad’s regime – in order to prevent Israel from interfering in Syrian affairs.
However, a Syrian source familiar with the matter told Kan News that the opposite is true.
According to him, it was the Russian officials who raised the idea during al-Shaibani's visit, but so far, the Damascus regime is not interested in the proposal, nor are the Americans.
Russia has framed the move as an attempt to prevent Israeli intervention, but in practice, it seems Moscow is seeking to maintain its foothold on the Syrian coast and restore the influence it lost in the local arena after Assad’s fall.
Roi Kais is an Arab Affairs correspondent for Kan 11.
You might also like to read this:
