Syria's Assad would like more Russian bases and troops

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 15, 2023. Sputnik/Vladimir Gerdo/Pool via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad said on Thursday that he would welcome any Russian proposals to set up new military bases and boost troop numbers in the Middle Eastern country, suggesting Russia's military presence there should become permanent.

When Russia intervened in the Syrian Civil War in 2015, it helped tip the balance in Assad's favour, ensuring the Syrian leader's survival despite Western demands that he be toppled.