In an interview with TASS on December 30, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov argued that President Bashar al-Assad's regime collapsed partly due to the presence of US troops in oil-rich areas in Syria and a series of sanctions imposed by Washington.
Mr. Lavrov said that this made it impossible for the Syrian government to meet the basic needs of its people in the context of years of civil war, affirming that the Syrian economy was being "strangled" by Washington.
The Russian Foreign Minister said that because of the tight economic conditions, Mr. Assad's government had to take many unpopular measures, leading to a series of protests.
According to Mr. Lavrov, the Syrian government also failed to create important negotiations with the opposition and neighboring countries, while Moscow provided humanitarian aid to Damascus.
The US military arrived in Syria in 2014 with the stated aim of fighting terrorist groups, especially the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). However, the Syrian government alleged that the move was in fact a plan to occupy and seize resources.
Last week, the Pentagon revealed that there are currently about 2,000 troops present at US military bases in Syria.
Russia also maintains a military presence in Syria. However, this was agreed by the two countries in 2017 and will be implemented for 49 years.
In late November, armed opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a surprise attack on large parts of Syria and captured the capital Damascus in just a few days. Assad was then evacuated to Russia by plane on December 8.
Mr. Lavrov said that after the power transition period ends on January 3, 2025, Russia is ready to negotiate with the new Syrian interim government about the future of military bases.
In early December, the foreign minister confirmed that Moscow was still trying to maintain contact with the new interim government of Damascus to ensure the safety of Russian citizens and the embassy.
