Will Russia retain its Syrian military bases? Association for Middle East Studies explains

He made these comments during a broadcast on Espreso TV.

"Russia is attempting to negotiate with the new Syrian government — or at least they are spreading claims that such talks are taking place. I can confirm only that they are trying. It’s possible they’ve found some field commanders willing to publicly take a neutral stance on Russian bases in Syria," he said.

According to him, there is no confirmed evidence that the new Syrian government is open to keeping Russian military bases on its territory.

"Even if we assume these negotiations are happening, one of the conditions would be the extradition of Assad and other regime leaders responsible for the deaths of thousands, as well as the return of Syria's gold and money. It's highly unlikely Russia could meet these demands. These points could become major stumbling blocks in any future talks," Semyvolos concluded.

• On December 13, a column of around 1,000 Russian troops left Damascus, heading toward Tartus and Khmeimim.
• On December 16, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Russia had reached agreements to maintain its presence at key military bases in Syria.