WSJ: Russia chasing deal to keep its military bases in Syria

Russia is seeking an agreement to keep its military bases in Syria, and Damascus wants to open a new page in relations with Moscow, according to European and Syrian officials. 

The officials, who were briefed on the relevant Syrian-Russian talks, said that the parties discussed the possibility of Moscow paying billions of dollars in cash, as well as the possibility of investing in gas fields and ports, Caliber.Az reports, citing The Wall Street Journal.

These contracts include a new phase of construction at the Tartus port, which had been suspended, the development of giant offshore gas concessions, phosphate mines and hydrocarbon fields near Palmyra, and the construction of a fertilizer plant in Homs, in central Syria.

The talks between Russia and Syria also included a possible apology from Moscow for its role in bombing Syrian civilians.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the talks also included a request from Damascus to extradite ousted President Bashar al-Assad, but the Russians declined to discuss the issue.

The talks began when Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Russia's special envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentyev arrived in January, officials said.

The newspaper reported that last month Russia transferred the equivalent of $23 million in Syrian pounds at the official exchange rate to the Central Bank in Damascus.

The confirmation came after a document was circulated on February 14, 2025, which stated that a cargo plane carrying money from Russia had arrived at Damascus airport.

The sources said that Russia had taken the money printed in Iran out of Tehran and airlifted it to Syria.

As the newspaper noted, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had asked Russia for the money that former regime leader Bashar al-Assad had taken to Moscow.

The bases Russia built along Syria’s coast enabled it to project power into the Mediterranean and Africa as well as hammering rebel targets, including positions held by Syria’s new rulers, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Notably, in one of the first concrete signs of warming ties between the two sides, Russia last month delivered the equivalent of $23 million in Syrian currency at official rates to the central bank in Damascus. Moscow printed the banknotes for Syria’s cash-starved economy when most other countries had refused due to fear of sanctions, Syrian and European officials said.

The tentative relationship between Russia and Syria’s new leaders gained momentum shortly after Putin and Ahmed al-Sharaa, the rebel leader who assumed the Syrian presidency, held their first phone call, which included discussions on political, trade and economic ties, as well as on Russia’s readiness to “improve the socio-economic situation in Syria”, Kremlin’s readout said. 

By Khagan Isayev