Putin’s refuge for Bashar al-Assad in Moscow hitting Russian efforts to keep forces in Syria, says UK

Vladimir Putin offering refuge to ex-Syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad in Moscow is undermining Russia’s talks to keep its forces in the wartorn country, according to British defence chiefs.

They believe that Russia is carrying out an evacuation from its Mediterranean naval port of Tartus in Syria.

In its latest intelligence update, the Ministry of Defence in London said: “On 28 and 29 January 2025, Russian merchant vessels SPARTA II and SPARTA reportedly departed Tartus, Russia’s strategically important naval base in Syria.

“The two merchant vessels are highly likely returning evacuated equipment and personnel to alternative basing locations away from the Mediterranean Sea, accompanied by four Russian Federation Navy vessels.”

The update added: “Negotiations between Russian Government representatives and Syria’s ruling administration, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), regarding the future of Russian bases, are almost certainly ongoing.

“Russia is almost certainly continuing to actively engage HTS to develop ties and promote itself as a beneficial partner.

“However, Russia is in a weaker negotiating position due to various factors, likely including the Syrian leadership’s hostility towards the former Syrian dictator, Bashar Al-Assad, currently harboured by Russia.”

Britain, the US, Ukraine and its other allies are fighting an information war against Russia so their briefings need to be treated with caution, but are far more believable than Kremlin propaganda.

Russia propped up Assad’s brutal regime for years, including with air strikes on rebel forces as they swept across the country in a lightning uprising which toppled him in December.

Assad, who was dubbed the “Rat of Damascus” by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, fled to Russia where he was offered refuge.

Putin’s regime has since been in talks with Syria’s new administration led by HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, to allow Russian forces to remain at the country’s Khmeimim Air Base in Syria’s Latakia province and the port of Tartus.

Western sanctions on Syria’s banking sector are preventing critical investments in the war-ravaged economy despite huge interest from Syrian and foreign investors since the fall of Assad, the country’s investment chief said.

“Sanctions have stopped everything. Right now, they are primarily on the Syrian people and are increasing their suffering,” stressed Ayman Hamawiye, the 36-year old head of the Syrian Investment Agency.

The US in January issued a six-month waiver to its Syria sanctions, focused on the energy sector and financial transfers to Syrian governing authorities, but kept sanctions in place on the central bank, keeping Syria cut off from the international financial system.

The EU in late January also agreed on a roadmap to ease its wide-ranging Syria sanctions, which EU diplomats say may include lifting some measures in place on the banking sector, but details are still being worked out in Brussels.

“The steps taken so far on sanctions are inadequate,” said Mr Hamawiye.

“In my opinion, everyone has an interest in these transactions going through a banking system with oversight and transparency rather than through informal transfer networks.”