In an interview with the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations website, Daoud Ahmadzadeh said: “Syrian-Russian relations are long-standing relations that date back to 80 years ago. During the time of the former Soviet Union, Syria, along with Iraq, was considered one of the close allies of the Russians. This means that Syria has always been one of Russia’s close allies in the West Asian region.

He added: “After the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Russia has tried to keep Syria as its only close and strategic ally in West Asia.”

Ahmadzadeh explained that after the Arab Spring and the beginning of the revolutions in North Africa and the Arab Middle East, Syria also experienced chaos and popular uprisings, “In this popular uprising, Russia as a powerful country stood by Bashar Assad and Syria and helped to establish the stability of Bashar Assad’s government. In fact, the alliance between Iran and Russia was a significant factor in Bashar Assad’s remaining in power after 2015.

This expert emphasized: “The Arab-Hebrew-American and Turkish axis, which was formed against Syria, collapsed in a way after 2019, but relations between Turkey and Syria have always been tense. In the meantime, despite the efforts made by Iran and Russia to normalize relations between Damascus and Ankara, these relations have not yet reached the necessary stability due to the influential factors that exist.

He continued: “One of the discussions raised in the recent meeting between Bashar Assad and Putin in the Kremlin Palace was the situation in the Middle East, which Putin rightly pointed out that the Middle East is facing increasing tensions.”

Ahmadzadeh explained: “Meanwhile, Syria, despite the efforts made to create stability and national unity in this country, due to some interferences that take place, with problems such as the presence of illegal American bases in this country and the lack of good relations

between Ankara and Damascus. It seems that the recent meeting between Bashar Assad and Putin was done with the aim of reuniting Damascus and Moscow and maintaining these relations.

According to the expert, in addition to the political, military, and strategic fields, Moscow and Damascus’s relations have constantly grown in the economic fields, and the parties have maintained close cooperation.

He said that Vladimir Putin has tried to reduce the interference factors that cause insecurity in stability and peace in Syria and added: “One of these components, as mentioned, is the discussion of how to reset relations.” It is between Ankara and Damascus. In this regard, the Russians are trying to help establish peace and stability in the region, which is also in their own interest.

Ahmadzadeh continued: “Given the recent conflicts of the Russians in Ukraine and their increasing tensions with the European Union and the United States, Moscow’s view and Putin’s particular view of the Middle East is special and strategic. In this regard, the Russians are trying to get closer to some allies of America and the West, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to Syria, and to cooperate with these countries in political, economic, and military dimensions.

He emphasized: “The Russians have achieved success in this field, including the re-admission of Syria to the Arab League and the announcement of the readiness of some Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE to normalize relations and establish official and diplomatic relations with Syria.” This issue is considered a turning point in relations and power equations and is approved and encouraged by the Russians.

Ahmadzadeh finally emphasized: “It seems that Russia is trying to bring closer its relations with the countries of the West Asian region, considering the conflicts it has in Ukraine and the increasing pressure of the sanctions created by the European Union and the United States. To have political, military, and economic relations with them. To establish and pursue such relations, resolving the Syrian issue as soon as possible is necessary.”

Saying that the Russians are considered a key and old player in the Middle East and take advantage of the opportunities, the expert added: “Given the tensions in the region, Moscow is trying to maintain its sphere of influence firstly in Syria and secondly with “normalization of Syria’s relations with Turkey and other Arab countries improve the stability of its power in the region.”