Syria demands reparations from Russia

Syria has demanded reparations from Russia in order to “rebuild trust” after a meeting between Damascus’ new administration and a Moscow delegation, according to local news sources. Russia and Syria’s meeting to discuss future relations comes as Moscow looks to retain its two military bases in the Middle Eastern country. Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates for comment via email. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov attending the opening night of a series of literary and musical evenings in Moscow, Russia on November 13, 2024. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov attending the opening night of a series of literary and musical evenings in Moscow, Russia on November 13, 2024. Alexey Maishev/Associated Press Why It Matters The relationship between the new Syrian administration and Russia is likely to be complex, as Moscow had strong ties to the former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad‘s regime. Russia had provided the exiled leader’s regime with ample military resources and funding. Moscow’s troops also were attacked by Damascus rebel groups when they launched the wide-scale military operation in December, and at one point, Russian troops were trapped in Syria....