Russian presence in Syria remains. But it’s unclear for how long

Associated Press

HMEIMIM, Syria (AP) — Russia’s intervention on behalf of former Syrian leader Bashar Assad once turned the tide of Syria’s civil war. But after Assad’s ouster, whether and how long that presence will last is an open question. Assad’s government signed a deal with Russia in 2017 that offered it a free lease of the Hmeimim air base and the Tartus naval base for 49 years. Moscow has reached out to Syria’s new authorities to try to ensure the security of its bases and extend its forces’ stay. There have been no clashes between Russian troops and the former insurgents now in charge.