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 the people in the context of the multi-year civil conflict, affirming that the Syrian economy had been "stuck" by Washington.
The Russian Foreign Minister said that due to limited economic conditions, Mr. Assad's government had to take many measures that were not popular with the people, leading to a series of protests.
According to Mr. Lavrov, the Syrian government has also failed to create important negotiations with the opposition and neighboring countries, while Moscow has provided humanitarian aid to Damascus.
The US military appeared in Syria in 2014 with the stated purpose of fighting against terrorist groups, especially the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). However, the Syrian government has accused the move of being a plan to occupy and appropriate resources.
Last week, the Pentagon revealed that there are currently about 2,000 military personnel 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 implemented within 49 years.
At the end of November, armed opposition groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched a surprise attack on a large area of Syria and occupied 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 interim government of Syria on the future of military bases.
In early December, the Foreign Minister confirmed that Moscow is still trying to maintain contact with the new interim government of Damascus to ensure the safety of Russian citizens and the Russian Embassy.
