Moscow’s situation in Syria is becoming increasingly complicated. The spokesperson of the new government in Damascus, Obeida Arnaoutin fact urged Russia to reconsider its presence on Syrian territory. “I think Russia should reconsider its presence and interests on Syrian territory,” he said. “Their interests were linked to the criminal regime of Assad. They can reconsider and take initiatives to reach out to the new administration, to demonstrate that they have no animosity with the Syrian people and that the era of the Syrian regime Assad it’s finally over,” he continued.
In short, it’s not exactly a door in the face of the Kremlin, but it’s close. Meanwhile, CNN reported that US officials say Moscow is withdrawing a significant portion of its troops and military equipment from Syria. In particular, Russia is reportedly moving its resources to Libya, where it can count on the general Khalifa Haftar. Recall that the Kremlin has two bases in Syria: one in Tartus and the other in Latakia. At the moment, negotiations between Moscow and the new government in Damascus on their future are continuing. However, the words of Arnaout and the Russian movements in Libya make it clear that the Kremlin is starting to find itself in serious difficulty.
It is in this context that the Chechen leader entered, Ramzan Kadyrov. According to the Moscow Timesthe latter is urging Vladimir Putin to remove HTS from the list of terrorist organizations. Let us remember that this Islamist group was the main promoter of the offensive that recently led to the fall of Bashar al Assad: an offensive that received de facto support from Turkey. “To start positive processes, it is necessary to start the procedure to exclude HTS and its representatives from the Russian list of terrorist organizations,” he said Kadyrov Monday. The Chechen leader also suggested that Moscow “immediately organize the work of a contact group of the two countries, which will be able to build the first links and start solving problems.” In the end, Kadyrov he hoped that Syrians living in Chechnya could be involved in the rapprochement between the Kremlin and the new government in Damascus.
It may be a coincidence, but on Tuesday Russia approved a bill that could allow Moscow to remove the Taliban from the list of terrorist organizations: those same Taliban who, according to the Guardianwelcomed the rise of HTS in Syria. It goes without saying that, if this bill were to be definitively approved, it could also be extended to the organization of Mohammed al Jolani. Which means only one thing: and that is that, perhaps, Kadyrov could carve out a decisive role for itself in the relations between Vladimir Putin and the same at Jolani. In other words, the Russian president could focus on the Chechen leader so as not to completely lose influence over Syria. On the other hand, two years ago, At the Monitor reported a thaw between Ankara and the Chechen leader who, according to the newspaper, had a secret meeting with Turkish officials. For now, numerous unknowns remain, while the situation remains fluid. However, it cannot be excluded that, thanks to the Syrian crisis, the political position of Kadyrov can be strengthened. How to read this possible scenario?
