The Russian ambassador in Damascus, Alexander Yefimov, denied the existence of a special competition or “balance of power” with Iran in Syria, considering these news mere lies.
Yefimov indicated that the Russian and Iranian forces are operating without competition, in coordination with the Syrian government, which has called on both countries to be in Syria on a “legal basis”, according to an interview with the local newspaper Al-Watan.
Frequent reports
International and local reports had talked about the beginning of the withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria, due to the war in Ukraine, which led to Iran rushing to fill the Russian vacuum in the country.
On May 26, the US Department of Defense said that Russia had begun withdrawing its forces from Syria in order to strengthen the Ukraine front.
It was preceded by press reports stating that the Ukrainian war had prompted Russia to withdraw part of its forces from Syria to the fighting fronts in Ukraine.
The reports pointed out that Russia began coordinating with Damascus and Tehran to fill the vacuum in some directions, most notably southern Syria, especially after President al-Assad’s recent visit to Tehran.
Jordanian warning
Jordan’s King Abdullah II also warned of the vacuum that might be created by the absence of the Russian role and presence in southern Syria, and of Tehran filling the vacuum instead of Moscow, in a sensitive area for both Syria and Jordan.
In an interview with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, the king said that the Russian presence in southern Syria “was a source of calm, and this void will now be filled by the Iranians and their proxies.”
Cooperation despite the war
On the other hand, Yefimov said that Russian companies continue to implement major economic projects in the field of infrastructure in Syria.
The ambassador stressed that economic cooperation between Syria and Russia continues, despite the military operation in Ukraine and the unfavorable global economic situation.
Yefimov considered that the economic relationship between the two countries shows a positive dynamic, and that both countries are working on developing new ambitious plans and are preparing to sign bilateral agreements.
The statements of the ambassador, who is also the special representative of the President of the Russian Federation for the development of relations with Syria, come amid Western sanctions against Moscow
The latest of these sanctions is the European Union’s adoption of the sixth package of its sanctions against Russia, which would reduce the bloc’s oil imports by 90 percent.
Russia has become the world’s most sanctioned country, just two weeks after beginning its military operation in Ukraine, surpassing the total of significant sanctions imposed on the likes of Iran, North Korea and Syria.