Syria’s new authorities call on Russia to ‘take past mistakes into account’ and pay compensation — Meduza

The new Syrian administration, which took power following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, has demanded compensation from Russia during negotiations, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported on Wednesday.

“The Russian side once again expressed its support for the positive changes taking place in Syria, and during the dialogue, Russia’s role in rebuilding trust with the Syrian people was emphasized through concrete measures such as compensation, reconstruction, and restoration,” the agency reported. It did not specify what form the compensation might take.

During the talks, SANA noted, Syria’s new authorities stressed that “the restoration of relations must take past mistakes into account, respect the will of the Syrian people, and serve their interests.”

A Russian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov arrived in Syria on January 28 — the first visit by Russian officials since the change in power in the country. Bogdanov met with Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. A Bloomberg source in Moscow said on January 28 that the negotiations had “reached a dead end.”

After the talks, Bogdanov told TASS that further discussions were needed on the future of Russia’s military bases in Syria. “For now, nothing is changing,” he said, adding that “overall, the meeting was constructive, and the atmosphere was positive.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on reports that Syria had demanded compensation. “I will not comment on that in any way. We will continue our dialogue with the Syrian authorities,” he told reporters on January 29.

Russia is fighting to maintain its two military bases in Syria, which serve as a key foothold for its influence in the Middle East and Africa, Bloomberg reported. The Kremlin had hoped to reach an agreement on the issue with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group that took power after Assad’s fall.

Russia facilitated Bashar al-Assad’s escape from Syria, and President Vladimir Putin granted asylum to him and his family.