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Syria’s New President in Moscow to Raise Assad Extradition and Russian Military Presence
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa is scheduled to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow on October 15, where he is expected to formally request the extradition of Bashar al-Assad and discuss the future of Russian military bases in Syria.
Reuters reported on October 14 that Sharaa’s visit marks his first trip to Russia since toppling Assad’s government last year. The talks aim to redefine bilateral ties between Damascus and Moscow following Syria’s change in leadership.
The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that the meeting would focus on “regional and international developments and ways that Syria and Russia can cooperate.”
On October 14, Syria TV and a source familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that Sharaa would travel to Moscow despite the postponement of an Arab summit originally planned to coincide with the visit.
A Syrian official source told Reuters that Sharaa will “formally request the handover of Assad” so that he may stand trial for alleged crimes against Syrian citizens. Assad, a long-time Russian ally, has lived in exile in Russia since December 2024, when Sharaa’s forces took control of Damascus and installed a new government.
According to Reuters, the discussions will also include the continued operation of Russia’s naval base in Tartus and air base in Hmeimim, which have served as key logistical hubs for Russian operations in the region.
Before assuming the presidency, Ahmed al-Sharaa led the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which was previously affiliated with al-Qaeda. His forces captured Damascus in December 2024, prompting Assad’s departure and ushering in a new phase of governance in Syria.
Despite Russia’s historical support for Assad, Moscow has maintained open lines of communication with the new Syrian leadership. In July, Reuters reported that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Vladimir Putin met with Syria’s new Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in Moscow. That visit was the first by a high-level official from Sharaa’s government.
In a recent interview with CBS, Sharaa said that Syria seeks to build relations with both Russia and China based on national interests but emphasized that engagement with Moscow “does not exclude cooperation with Western countries.” He also noted that Russia has offered “positive signals” to the new authorities in Damascus.
Earlier, Defense News reported that Russia’s naval presence in the Mediterranean has sharply declined following the loss of its long-held base in Tartus, Syria. NATO officials said Moscow now maintains only a few ships in the region as it shifts resources to the Baltic and Arctic, struggling with maintenance and force-generation issues that limit its operational reach.
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