Syrian rebels convinced Russia not to support former President Bashar al-Assad, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, the foreign minister of the interim Syrian government, told Al Majalla magazine.
According to him, by 2024 the Syrian rebels were faced with a strategic choice. Iran could no longer provide significant support to Assad, its influence had weakened, but Russia remained active.
„We spoke with a very high-ranking official. "I won't name him, but I felt like I was talking directly to President Vladimir Putin," al-Shibani said, referring to the talks with the Russian side.
He noted that Russia had taken seriously the message that ousting Assad did not mean the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria.
The withdrawal of Russian troops from Damascus has caused the collapse of Assad's forces. "If the Russians are leaving, it means they know that the rebels will arrive soon," the diplomat said.
Al-Shibani also commented on the situation around the Russian bases in Hmeimim and Tartus. He specified that if the presence of these two bases was in Syria's interest, Russian troops could remain in the country - in their current form they serve no purpose, but there are no plans to leave them as a reserve.
On December 8, 2024, the command of the Free Syrian Army, supported by the US and Turkey, announced that Bashar Assad's rule was "over". Later, the media reported that Assad and his family had fled to Moscow, and Russia had granted them asylum "for humanitarian reasons".
In October, the Syrian Foreign Ministry announced that the republic was negotiating with Russia about the military bases and the fate of Bashar Assad.