Vladimir Putin denies Russia was defeated in Syria

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Vladimir Putin has rejected the notion that Moscow faced a setback in Syria, asserting that even with the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government, the Kremlin was able to accomplish its objectives in the region.

At an annual press conference, the Russian president downplayed Moscow's involvement in Syria, downplaying the significance of the military assistance it has given over the years to support Assad's government.

“I can guarantee you that’s not true,” Putin responded when asked if Assad's recent escape to Moscow was a setback. “We intervened in Syria a decade ago to stop a terrorist stronghold from forming there... In general, we have accomplished what we set out to do.”

Russia hurried to relocate numerous soldiers and embassy personnel from Damascus as Syrian rebel forces rapidly advanced across the nation within just a few days. The fate of its key military bases in Syria is now in doubt.

In 2015, Russia launched a significant and expensive military operation in the Syrian civil war, sending thousands of troops and providing substantial air support to help shift the tide of the conflict in favor of Assad.

However, on Thursday, Putin stated that Russia has "never engaged" in combat in Syria and does not have any soldiers deployed there, even though it operates two significant military bases in Hmeimim and Tartus.

As 350 armed insurgents moved towards Aleppo, Putin stated that "the ground forces consisted of Syrian troops and, as everyone is aware, some groups identified as pro-Iranian military units."

He mentioned that these soldiers just left their posts and noted that Russia also transported 4,000 pro-Iranian fighters to Tehran using its Hmeimim base. However, he didn't bring up the Russian airstrikes on rebel locations, which didn’t prevent their progress.

Russia is currently in discussions with the rebel groups regarding the future of its two military bases. Recent satellite images of Hmeimim show signs of equipment movement that align with a withdrawal of Russian troops.

"We stay in touch with all factions in Syria and throughout the surrounding countries. They all agree that it's preferable for us to retain our bases there," Putin stated, though he emphasized that further discussions are essential to establish a mutually advantageous agreement between Russia and Syria's new leadership.

If Russia were to lose the Hmeimim and Tartus bases, it would harm its reputation as a significant player on the world stage and create a major strategic challenge. These locations serve as crucial logistics centers for Russia's various initiatives in the Mediterranean and its activities throughout Africa.

Putin mentioned that he hasn't had a meeting with Assad in Moscow yet, but he plans to do so soon.

He mentioned that he is prepared to have a conversation with US president-elect Donald Trump. "It's been over four years since we last spoke. I'm open to discussing it whenever," Putin stated.

He rejected the idea that any discussions of that nature could take place while Russia was hurt by its choice to initiate a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He believed that, in fact, Russia had become “considerably stronger in the last two to three years.”

"Rumors about my demise have been wildly overstated," Putin joked, prompting applause from the crowd, as he referenced a saying often attributed to writer Mark Twain.