Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, marking his second visit to the Kremlin in just three months.
According to Syrian state television, the meeting will build on talks held between the two leaders in October and comes as Syrian government forces continue advancing against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria.
One of the central issues expected to be discussed is the status of Russia’s military presence in Syria. During their October meeting, al-Sharaa requested that Russia maintain its military bases in the country and resume patrols in southern Syria, which had been suspended following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024.
Last week, Russian forces withdrew from Qamishli airbase in northeastern Syria, one of Moscow’s key military installations in the country. Russia had previously pulled out of the base during the fall of the Assad government but redeployed there last year at the request of al-Sharaa’s administration.
The reasons for the latest withdrawal remain unclear. However, it comes amid rapid Syrian government advances over the past two weeks that have reduced SDF-held territory to two isolated pockets in northern and northeastern Syria. Qamishli now remains the last major city under SDF control, while al-Hasakah—declared the SDF’s new capital—has become a frontline city.
A ceasefire between Damascus and the SDF has been in place since last week. The Syrian government has stated it will continue to observe the ceasefire as long as the SDF adheres to an agreement reached on January 18, under which the SDF committed to integrating its political and military institutions into the Syrian state.
Whether the ceasefire will hold remains uncertain. With the Syrian government reclaiming roughly 80 percent of former SDF-controlled territory in a matter of weeks—and with the United States signaling it will not intervene on behalf of the Kurds—Damascus may have little incentive to compromise and could seek to retake remaining SDF-held areas by force.