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Vladimir Putin denied that Moscow had suffered a defeat in Syria, claiming that despite the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime, the Kremlin had achieved its goals in the country.
During a marathon annual press conference, the Russian president downplayed Moscow's role in this SyriaIgnoring the importance of the military support it provided for years to support the Assad regime.
“I assure you that this is not the case.” Putin He said when asked whether Assad's flight to Moscow earlier this month represented a setback. “We came to Syria 10 years ago to prevent the establishment of a terrorist enclave there. .. In general, we achieved our goals.”
Russia rushed to evacuate hundreds of soldiers and embassy staff from Damascus after Syrian rebel forces overran the country within days. The future of its two main military bases in Syria is now uncertain.
Russia began a large-scale and costly intervention in the Syrian civil war in 2015, deploying thousands of troops and extensive air support to turn the conflict in Assad's favor.
But on Thursday, Putin claimed that Russia has “never fought” in Syria and has no troops on the ground there, even though it guards two large and strategically important military bases in Hmeimim and Tartus.
Putin said that as 350 armed rebels advanced towards Aleppo, “the ground component consisted of Syrian forces and – as we all know, there are no secrets here – some alleged pro-Iranian military formations.”
He added that these forces simply abandoned their positions, adding that Russia also evacuated 4,000 pro-Iranian fighters to Tehran via the Hmeimim base. He did not mention the Russian air strikes on rebel positions, which failed to stop their advance.
Russia is now negotiating with rebel forces over the fate of its military bases. Recent satellite images of Hmeimim revealed movements of equipment there consistent with a reduction in Russian forces.
He added: “We are in contact with all groups in Syria and all countries in the region. “They all say it would be better if we kept our bases there,” he said, but he added that more talks were needed to reach a mutually beneficial arrangement between Russia and Syria’s new rulers.
The loss of the Hmeimim and Tartus bases would weaken Moscow's image as a global power broker and represent a serious strategic problem. The two sites are important logistical centers for Russia's other activities in the Mediterranean and its operations throughout Africa.
Putin said he had not yet met with Assad in Moscow but intended to do so.
He also expressed his willingness to meet US President-elect Donald Trump. “I have not spoken to him for more than four years. I am ready to do so at any time,” Putin said.
He denied that such a conversation would take place at a time when Russia was weakened by its decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, saying that in his view, Russia had become “much stronger over the last two or three years.” “.
“Rumors about my death are greatly exaggerated,” Putin joked to the applause of the audience, citing a quote attributed to writer Mark Twain.
