Putin, Who Does Not Mention Syria's Strategic Defeat Even Once... "A Painful Topic"

Focused Only on Ukraine War Issues
EU and Syria Withdrawal Tensions

Russian President Vladimir Putin is speaking at an expanded meeting of senior Ministry of Defense officials broadcast on TV. Photo by TASS and Yonhap News.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly made no mention of ending the Syrian civil war during a regular meeting with the Ministry of Defense, drawing significant attention. This is interpreted as an attempt to highlight the achievements in the Ukraine war while remaining silent about the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime, which Russia had supported, and the strategic failures in the Middle East. As diplomatic tensions with the European Union (EU) escalate over the return of military bases previously leased in Syria and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria, major changes in Russia's overall Middle East policy are anticipated.

According to The New York Times (NYT), on the 16th (local time), President Putin attended an expanded meeting of senior officials at the Russian Ministry of Defense, broadcast on TV, where he discussed the progress of the Ukraine war. He emphasized, "The combat activities of the Russian military have firmly secured strategic initiative across the entire front," and added, "This year has been a breakthrough year in terms of achieving the objectives of the 'special military operation.'"

However, he made no mention whatsoever of ending the Syrian civil war. Despite the extreme political upheaval, including the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad on the 8th, his exile to Russia, and the withdrawal of Russian troops stationed in Damascus, Putin did not utter a single word on the matter.

Although the collapse of the Assad regime, which Russia had protected for 13 years since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, represents a significant strategic defeat in the Middle East, Russia appears unwilling to acknowledge it. Anton Mardasov, a Russian Middle East affairs expert and military analyst, told the NYT, "The fall of the Assad regime is a painful topic in Moscow right now," adding, "It's better to say nothing."

Regarding the issue of the withdrawal of Russian troops still remaining in Syria, the Russian government has only reiterated that no decision has been made yet. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated at a briefing that day, "No final decision has been made regarding the Russian troops remaining in Syria," and added, "We are currently in contact with countries related to Syria's new representatives, and everything will be decided through dialogue."

Diplomatic tensions with the EU over the Syrian withdrawal issue are also intensifying. According to the NYT, the EU is attempting diplomatic contact with the transitional government organized by Syrian opposition forces. The EU is demanding the complete withdrawal of Russian troops on the condition that sanctions imposed on the Syrian opposition representative organization, 'Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS),' be lifted.

Meanwhile, Russia is negotiating the reapproval of lease contracts for military bases such as the Hmeimim Air Base and the Tartus Naval Base, which were leased from the Assad regime since 2017 under a 49-year contract, with the transitional government. The NYT analyzed that if the Syrian transitional government demands Russian troop withdrawal as requested by the EU, Russia's Middle East strategy could suffer a significant setback, potentially causing major changes in the regional situation once again.