Sharaa Envisages Russia Helping Him Build The “New Syria”

They’re embarking on a joint post-modern “nation-building mission” similar in spirit to the dozens that Russia’s Soviet predecessor was famous for across the Global South.

Syrian President Ahmed “Jolani” Sharaa’s comments before his talks with Putin showed that this former terrorist is becoming a statesman in no time. Acknowledging his newfound pragmatism doesn’t excuse his former terrorist crimes, but it’s nonetheless surprising that he of all people is pursuing stronger ties with Russia after it bombed his fellow terrorists and tried to kill him for years. Sharaa was apparently convinced, and rightly so it can be argued, that Russia is key to building the “New Syria”. In his words:

“We also build upon the many achievements that Russia has enabled us to realise; it has assisted us in various areas. We are connected by robust bridges of cooperation, including practical and material cooperation. We will continue in this manner in the future. We will seek to revitalise the entire spectrum of our relations and to introduce you to the new Syria. The most important priority now, of course, is stability – both within our country and in the region as a whole.”

It’s this security priority, especially its domestic dimension, that’s responsible for its trip to Moscow. As was explained here citing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent interview, “[Russia’s bases in Syria] could facilitate the dispatch of aid to Africa, but it’s also possible that they might host complex military-diplomatic talks between all stakeholders in Syria while also helping its armed forces maintain national unity by re-equipping, training, and advising them too.” There’s more to it than just that though.

In exchange for rebuilding its armed forces, albeit within the unofficial limits imposed by Israel, Russia expects to remain Syria’s top partner for energy, reconstruction, and other ventures. Sharaa declared ahead of his talks with Putin that he’ll respect all past deals, after which Russian Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed his country’s interest in developing Syria’s oil industry. Closer cooperation on security and energy, which will reinforce Sharaa’s hold on power, are also profitable business opportunities for Russia.

Not only that, but they help retain Russia’s role in the Levant via its continued military-economic presence in Syria while preventing the “New Syria’s” descent into a “Neo-Ottoman Sanjak” by preemptively averting total dependence on Turkiye, thus making this arrangement mutually beneficial. Moreover, the extensive political ties that have formed over the decades can be tapped into by Sharaa for receiving guidance during his country’s transition if he has the will, which now seems to be the case.

To that end, he might be advised to implement parts of 2017’s Russian-written “draft constitution” for the sake of national unity seeing as how it proposes sub-federative cultural-linguistic rights for the Kurds, which is along the lines of what US Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack suggested. This principle, modeled off of the regional rights that Russia has given some of its own minorities, could prospectively be expanded to include other Syrian minorities like the Alawites and Druze as part of a grand compromise for peace.

It’s premature to speculate whether Sharaa will agree, but the point is that he’s committed to relying on Russia for building the “New Syria”, which represents surprising pragmatism from someone who was a terrorist in hiding less than a year ago. Russia’s comprehensive aid to Syria will reinforce Sharaa’s hold on power and thus help him achieve his political vision in a joint post-modern “nation-building mission” similar in spirit to the dozens that Russia’s Soviet predecessor was famous for across the Global South.