Kamal Louadj
“What is Russia’s interest in abandoning Syria, when it has important logistical relays there which, in addition to its highly strategic presence [in] the Eastern Mediterranean, facilitate the projection of its forces in Africa?” asks Radio Sputnik Afrique’s Arnaud Develay, political consultant and independent journalis
“We absolutely must put an end to this Western media charade and many of its relays in certain Arab countries who want their listeners to swallow that Syria has fallen into the hands of the HTS jihadists because of a secret agreement between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The deal, according to these media, would be a barter between the two men of Ukraine for Syria,” Arnaud Develay, a French international lawyer, political consultant and freelance journalist, tells Radio Sputnik Afrique.
“It’s absolutely absurd! What is Russia’s interest in abandoning Syria, when it has important logistical relays there [the military bases at Tartous, Hmeimim and Latakia, editor’s note] which, in addition to the highly strategic presence on the coasts of the eastern Mediterranean, facilitate the projection of its forces in Africa? Of course, there is Libya and Sudan to replace Syria, but these two countries are still in a state of chronic insecurity and instability, making any deployment of forces as tedious as it is dangerous”, he adds.
He continues: “On the other hand, from a geopolitical and geostrategic point of view, the positions of Syria and Ukraine in terms of importance on the world stage are not at all the same. Indeed, for all its importance to the Russians, Syria remains a purely regional issue. Ukraine, on the other hand, is the Gordian knot where the future of the world is at stake in terms of governance architecture, notably security and defense for Europe, given that the conflict in this country pits the entire global West and NATO via its Ukrainian proxy against Russia. Under no circumstances would the Russian authorities make the mistake of freezing the conflict in Ukraine alone. Any peace negotiations, as President Putin and his Foreign Minister keep repeating, must have as a categorical prerequisite Ukraine’s definitive recognition of the new status of Crimea and the four oblasts that have joined Russia. Ukraine’s neutrality and demilitarization, and finally its non-integration into NATO and the European Union”.