Russia Responds to Germany's Demand to Dismantle Syrian Bases
Maria Zakharova criticized Annalena Baerbock of Germany for her request to eliminate Russian bases from Syria, suggesting a stance of double standards. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has taken issue with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's call for the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Syria.
In a post on her Telegram channel on Friday, Zakharova suggested that Baerbock should focus on the presence of US military bases in Germany instead. "This is being said by the foreign minister of a country that hosts US military bases. I have a question: when will the German foreign minister say something similar to Washington?" Zakharova remarked in her response.
Baerbock’s comments came after her visit to Damascus on Friday, where she, along with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, became the first EU ministers to visit Syria since President Bashar Assad's ousting. The goal of Baerbock's visit, according to the German media outlet Tagesschau, was to prevent the country from falling further under Russian and Chinese influence.
The dynamics in Syria changed significantly in November when militant groups led by the jihadist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a swift offensive against government forces. This resulted in the rapid disintegration of Assad’s regime, forcing him to seek refuge in Moscow.
Since 2015, Russia has been an ally of Assad's government, assisting Syria in combating terrorism. In 2017, Moscow and Damascus formalized an agreement granting the Russian military a 49-year lease of the Tartus naval base and the Khmeimim airbase in eastern Syria.
In late December, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, the head of HTS and the country’s de facto leader—known by his alias Abu Mohammad al-Julani—noted that Damascus had “strategic interests” in maintaining strong relations with Russia, asserting it as the “second most powerful country in the world.”
“We don’t want Russia to exit Syria in a way that would not be befitting for its long-standing relations with the nation,” al-Julani stated.
Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's representative to the UN, supported this viewpoint on Friday by indicating that Syria’s new de facto authorities are keen on preserving their relationship with Moscow and its military presence in the area.
During his end-of-year press conference in December, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that the question of sustaining a Russian military presence in Syria warrants “careful consideration.” He stated, “We must reflect on how our relations will evolve with the political forces currently in control and those that will govern this country in the future.”
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
In a post on her Telegram channel on Friday, Zakharova suggested that Baerbock should focus on the presence of US military bases in Germany instead. "This is being said by the foreign minister of a country that hosts US military bases. I have a question: when will the German foreign minister say something similar to Washington?" Zakharova remarked in her response.
Baerbock’s comments came after her visit to Damascus on Friday, where she, along with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, became the first EU ministers to visit Syria since President Bashar Assad's ousting. The goal of Baerbock's visit, according to the German media outlet Tagesschau, was to prevent the country from falling further under Russian and Chinese influence.
The dynamics in Syria changed significantly in November when militant groups led by the jihadist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a swift offensive against government forces. This resulted in the rapid disintegration of Assad’s regime, forcing him to seek refuge in Moscow.
Since 2015, Russia has been an ally of Assad's government, assisting Syria in combating terrorism. In 2017, Moscow and Damascus formalized an agreement granting the Russian military a 49-year lease of the Tartus naval base and the Khmeimim airbase in eastern Syria.
In late December, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, the head of HTS and the country’s de facto leader—known by his alias Abu Mohammad al-Julani—noted that Damascus had “strategic interests” in maintaining strong relations with Russia, asserting it as the “second most powerful country in the world.”
“We don’t want Russia to exit Syria in a way that would not be befitting for its long-standing relations with the nation,” al-Julani stated.
Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's representative to the UN, supported this viewpoint on Friday by indicating that Syria’s new de facto authorities are keen on preserving their relationship with Moscow and its military presence in the area.
During his end-of-year press conference in December, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that the question of sustaining a Russian military presence in Syria warrants “careful consideration.” He stated, “We must reflect on how our relations will evolve with the political forces currently in control and those that will govern this country in the future.”
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
