Russia has supported the administration of incumbent President Bashar al-Assad of Syria since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011: politically, with military aid, and (since September 2015) with direct military involvement.
Russia entered the Syrian war amid an economic crisis due to slumping oil prices and the fallout of the Ukrainian crisis. This initially caused domestic concern about the cost of the war.
Russia–Syria relations are the bilateral relations between Russia and Syria. Russia has an embassy in Damascus and Syria has an embassy in Moscow. Russia enjoys a historically strong, stable, and friendly relationship with Syria, as it did until the Arab Spring with most of the Arab countries.
Iran and Syria are close strategic allies, and Iran has provided significant support for Syria in the Syrian Civil War. This is said to include technical support, some combat troops, and $9bn in financial support.
In 2011 and 2012, Syria was suspended from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Union for the Mediterranean. Syria is also full member of the Arab League. Syria is a candidate state of the new Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Syria continues to foster good relations with its traditional allies, Iran and Russia.
China takes an active role in facilitating a political resolution, including meeting with both the Syrian government and opposition groups. China also views counter-terrorism as a major concern to be addressed in the context of the Syrian crisis.
Diplomatic relations between Syria and the United States are currently non-existent; they were suspended in 2012 after the onset of the Syrian Civil War. Priority issues between the two states include the Arab–Israeli conflict, the Golan Heights annexation, and the Iraq War.
The United States supports the UN-facilitated, Syrian-led process mandated by UNSCR 2254. There is no military solution to the Syrian conflict. As we have seen, the Syrian regime, Russian, and Iranian military actions only offer more destruction and death.
As of 2023, active fighting in the conflict between the Syrian government and rebel groups had mostly subsided, but there were occasional flareups in Northwestern Syria.
“There will no longer be relations between Ukraine and Syria,” Zelenskyy said at the time. The Syrian foreign ministry said Ukraine had first ruptured relations in 2018 by refusing to revalidate the residencies of its diplomatic staff in Kyiv, making it impossible for them to carry out their duties.
The Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War started on 30 September 2015, with 4,000 Russian military personnel being stationed in Syria. The Russian forces also consisted of 25 strategic bombers, 20 tactical bombers, 12 attack bombers, 8 fighter aircraft, 16 attack helicopters and various other aircraft.
Iran and Russia are strategic allies and form an axis in the Caucasus alongside Armenia. Iran and Russia are also military allies in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq and partners in Afghanistan and post-Soviet Central Asia. The Russian Federation is also the chief supplier of arms and weaponry to Iran.
Economic and trade relations constitute the driving force behind Turkish-Russian relations. Russia, has been one of the most important trade partners of Türkiye.
In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with 1.15 million and at least two million reserve personnel.
Bashar al-Assad (born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who has served as the 19th president of Syria since 17 July 2000.
Syria has been an active belligerent, with periodic ceasefires and use of proxies, against Israel ever since May 1948, when the Syrian army captured territory from the newly established State of Israel north and south of the Sea of Galilee.
Turkey provides diplomatic support to Syria regarding US and EU sanctions.
The Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war began in September 2015, after a request by the Syrian government for military aid against rebel and jihadist groups.
Intentional attacks
U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an airstrike against the Syrian government in response to the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack on 4 April. The United States gave Syria's ally, Russia, advance warning of the airstrike, allowing the government to move away most planes from the airbase ahead of time.
As of February 2021, there are around 900 U.S. soldiers operating in Syria, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
The United States has been the largest donor of humanitarian assistance for Syria, providing nearly $16 billion over the 12 years of war. The earthquake massively exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in northwest Syria, with enormous needs for shelter, medical supplies, food, and fuel.
Iran sees the survival of the Syrian government as being crucial to its interest. Its only consistent ally since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Syria provides a crucial thoroughfare to Hezbollah in Lebanon.