Russia negotiating with Syria to maintain military presence, Lavrov says

2026-02-19 - 12:42

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov disclosed Wednesday that Moscow is actively negotiating with Syria's new administration to maintain its key military presence in the country, emphasizing that Syrians are "keen" for Russia to remain. In an interview with Al-Arabia TV, Lavrov noted that facilities at Khmeimim and Tartus, while no longer serving purely military functions as before December 2025, remain well-suited for repurposing as humanitarian hubs, serving as stabilizing counterweights to other regional actors. Syrian Relations and Regional Dynamics Lavrov highlighted the strength of Russian-Syrian ties, noting President Ahmad al-Sharaa's two visits to Moscow in under four months and multiple meetings between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Russian officials. He described Moscow's presence as a stabilizing factor amid Israeli influence-building in southern Syria through Druze engagement and urged the US to manage any withdrawal from northeast Syria "in a way that does not generate new threats," warning that unattended ISIS camps could fuel regional instability. Palestinian-Israeli Conflict and Iran Lavrov criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of Palestinian statehood and described as "absolutely inadequate" statements suggesting Gazan civilians were all terrorists. He stressed that stability requires a Palestinian state and expressed Russia's readiness to participate in Gaza's reconstruction, noting Moscow has offered $1 billion in frozen funds. On Iran, Lavrov warned that strikes on Iranian facilities supervised by the IAEA create physical nuclear risks, arguing Iran has legitimate rights to uranium enrichment under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and criticizing Netanyahu's push for "radical measures." Relations with Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and US Marking the centenary of Russian-Saudi diplomatic relations, Lavrov praised cooperation with Riyadh as the "leader of the Arab world." Regarding Ukraine, he blamed the current government in Kyiv for hindering settlement. He described Russian-US relations as "pragmatic," with both sides agreeing to establish a bilateral economic working group to explore mutual benefits under the Trump administration.