Given the genocide of Alawites and Christians in Syria, Russia's cooperation with the terrorist president will be shut down. It is much more promising to promote the establishment of an Alawite state together with the US and Israel.
Jihadists who have taken power in Syria have begun massacring Alawites and Christians. For the fifth consecutive day, a brutal crackdown is being carried out in their settlements along the eastern Mediterranean coast in what is being described as genocide. The uprising began spontaneously in Latakia and several other cities in response to the arrest of 2,000 people, primarily from the Alawite and Christian minorities, in early March, as well as the violent "cleansing" of their villages.
Government "security forces," composed of militants from Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), are reportedly carrying out mass executions of civilians in a brutal manner, sparing neither women nor children, according to numerous videos circulating on social media. It is estimated that around 7,000 Alawites and Christians have taken refuge at Russia’s Hmeimim airbase, where a tent camp has been set up to provide food and shelter.
Russian and US ambassadors requested an emergency closed-door session of the UN Security Council on March 10 to discuss the situation in Syria. Their perspectives on the crisis appear to be largely aligned.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry had already expressed concern on Friday, March 7, urging "all influential Syrian leaders to do everything possible to bring an immediate end to the bloodshed."
Meanwhile, the US State Department condemned "radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadists, who have been killing people in western Syria in recent days."
"The interim Syrian authorities must hold those responsible for these mass killings against Syria’s minority communities accountable," Bild quoted Senator Marco Rubio as saying.
Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa – formerly the leader of HTS, known as Jolani – has failed to unite Syria as promised due to his terrorist background. In the north, the Kurds refused to cooperate with him, while in the south, the Druze resisted, with open backing from Israel. According to Israeli channel i24 reported that Alawite leaders had sent a letter to Israeli authorities requesting protection from the new Syrian leadership. Earlier, Israel’s Foreign Ministry urged Europe to "wake up and stop legitimizing" Syria’s transitional government.
Nevertheless, the European Union has backed Sharaa and, along with Britain, has begun gradually lifting sanctions on Syria. His regime also enjoys the support of Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
"The Kingdom confirms its support for the Syrian government in its efforts to maintain security, stability, and civil peace," Riyadh declared.
Sharaa, in turn, accused "Assad loyalists and foreign powers," without specifying names, of attempting to incite unrest. He pledged to hold accountable all those who "exceeded their authority" on "both sides" and announced the formation of an "independent committee" to investigate.
After Bashar al-Assad’s forces effectively surrendered the country to pro-Turkish Islamists, Russia has refrained from intervening in Syria’s internal affairs. Moscow initially sought an agreement with the new authorities to maintain its military bases in the country. Russian President Vladimir Putin even called Sharaa to discuss potential cooperation.
However, any negotiation now appears highly uncertain—terrorists have revealed their true intentions, making Sharaa’s assurances unconvincing.
A more promising approach for Moscow would be to collaborate with the US and Israel on establishing an Alawite state in the relevant provinces, where Russia's naval base and Khmeimim airfield are located. Israel, for its part, insists on maintaining Russia’s military presence in Syria and has urged Washington to support this effort. The greatest nightmare for Israelis remains the prospect of Syrian Islamists advancing toward their borders.