The Kremlin was asked about the demand of the new Syrian authorities for compensation and the extradition of Assad

Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on a report by the Syrian news agency SANA that the new Syrian authorities allegedly asked Moscow for compensation "to restore trust" and demanded the extradition of former President Bashar al-Assad.

"No, I leave it without any comments," the Kremlin spokesman said in response to a question from journalists.

Commenting on the visit of the Russian delegation to Damascus yesterday, January 28, Peskov noted that "this is an important trip, important contacts, because it is necessary to build and maintain a constant dialogue with the Syrian authorities, what we are doing and will continue to do."

Earlier, the Syrian agency SANA cited excerpts from the statement of the new authorities of the Arab republic following the results of the first visit of the Russian delegation to Damascus after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's forces. It says that Moscow "reaffirmed its support for the ongoing positive changes" in Syria. In response, the Syrian authorities stated that they were ready to cooperate with all interested parties for the sake of the country's future, but "the restoration of relations should take into account past mistakes, respect the will of the Syrian people and serve their interests." In this regard, Damascus, according to SANA, allegedly demanded that Moscow pay for the damage caused. "Russia's role in restoring trust with the Syrian people through concrete measures such as compensation, reconstruction and rehabilitation was emphasized," the statement said.

EADaily adds that Bloomberg, citing a source in Moscow, reported that allegedly the new Syrian authorities do not want to put up with the Russian military presence, and they cannot be persuaded. The article claims that Moscow is unable to reach an agreement with Damascus on maintaining Russian bases in Khmeimim and Tartus. According to the source, negotiations with the new Syrian government have reached an impasse: Russia's activities at the Khmeimim airbase were limited, and two transport ships waited several weeks before they were allowed to dock in Tartus to take out military equipment.

In addition, Bloomberg notes that Turkey, which supported the rebels, opposes the preservation of Russia's military presence in Syria. According to sources, Ankara doubts the prospects of maintaining the bases, taking into account the military assistance that Russia provided to the forces of Bashar al-Assad.

Today, on January 29, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement following the visit of a delegation from Moscow to Damascus, according to which "during a frank discussion of the entire range of issues of Russian-Syrian relations at the present turning point, the desire to continue building bilateral multifaceted cooperation on the principles of traditional friendship and mutual respect between Russia and Syria was emphasized." At the same time, the Russian side reaffirmed its unwavering support for the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria, as well as its readiness to provide the Syrian people with the necessary assistance in the post-crisis reconstruction of the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted.