The Russian Foreign Ministry issued an appeal on Sunday for all parties involved in the toppling of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to refrain from the use of force.
Al-Assad had abandoned his post and left Syria, the ministry said, without providing any information on the location of its former ally. Russia was in contact with groups in Syria, it said.
Moscow had provided military support to al-Assad’s regime since 2015.
The ministry said Assad had ordered a peaceful transfer of power. “Russia has not participated in these negotiations. At the same time we appeal to all those involved to refrain from the use of force and to resolve all questions relating to state leadership by political means,” it said.
Moscow could no longer support Syria in the current circumstances, said Konstantin Kosachev, a former diplomat and deputy head of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament.
Moscow would offer assistance if the Syrian people asked for it, Kosachev said. He added that the war was not over, as there were many opposing groups, among them terrorist organizations. Syria’s territorial integrity had to be maintained, he said.
Russia maintains an airbase in Syria and a naval base at Tartus, which provides access to the Mediterranean sea. The ministry said the Russian military bases were not under threat but were in a state of heightened alert.
Andrey Kartapolov, head of the Russian parliament’s defence committee, said consideration now had to be given to the forces stationed in Syria, based on experience from previous withdrawals.
