Bashar Al-Assad, the president of Syria, has stated that he would accept any proposal from the Russian Federation to expand its presence in the country via establishment of new bases and increase in the number of its armed forces operating in the country.
Assad also suggested making permanent, Kremlin’s military presence in Syria.
The civil war in the Middle East country began in 2011 when some civilians staged a massive revolutionary and pro-democracy protest against Assad’s regime.
Syrians were complaining of high level of unemployment, corruption, and absence of free movement under Assad’s government.
The Syrian government forces started cracking down on the protesters violently which led to a nationwide demand for Assad’s resignation.
The protest finally degenerated into a full-blown war with many rebel groups emerging.
When the protest escalated into war, world powers started interfering, and taking sides.
The United States and allies supported some rebel fighters in order to topple Assad’s regime, but Russia and allies backed the Syrian government.
Russia, which already had a military presence in the country even prior to the war, started air crusade in support of Assad’s regime around 2015.
Russia and Damascus have maintained a very cordial relationship.
Meeting with Vladimir Putin, Russian President on Wednesday in Russia’s seat of power, Assad expressed support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
He says further that he recognizes all the territories the Russian Federation claimed in Ukraine, adding that he would accept any proposal for establishment of military bases in Syria.
Speaking to the Russian State news agency, RIA, he said “We think that expanding the Russian presence in Syria is a good thing.
“Russia’s military presence in any country should not be based on anything temporary.”
“We believe that if Russia has the desire to expand bases or increase their number, it is a technical or logistical issue.”
“Syria stood beside Russia on the issue of Ukraine.
“Because this is my first visit since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, I would like to repeat the Syrian position in support of this special operation,” al-Assad told Putin, according to a Kremlin transcript.
“Syria recognises the territories of Ukraine which Russia has seized as Russian, al-Assad said.
“I say that these are Russian territories, and even if the war had not happened, these are historically Russian territories,” he said to RIA.
He expressed gratitude to Putin for the aide Russia had extended to Syria following last month’s earthquake.
