Russian state media recently published a series of articles showing differences in several stances between Moscow and the Syrian regime.
These reports offer a rare glimpse into what is taking place away from the spotlight as often official Russian media statements avoid revealing details of disputes between Moscow and the regime.
The latest example of these differences was revealed when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Damascus to “show some flexibility in dealing with the file of humanitarian aid to Eastern Ghouta.”
Another difference was revealed when Moscow resorted to excluding the regime from negotiations with gunmen in Eastern Ghouta. It alone managed the talks, reached agreements for them to withdraw from the region and provided guarantees itself without referring to the regime.
An article published on Friday by Russian newspaper Vzglyad warned of escalating the dispute between the Syrian intelligence services and the Russian military police forces, which are now imposing direct control over the "liberated" areas and acting independently from the regime.
The article highlighted that "some of the residential areas that were liberated from the fighters were not returned to Damascus’s authority. The Russian forces are working on preventing the implementation of a possible purge among the population,” angering Syrian agencies.
Moreover, the newspaper reported that reconciliation processes run by Russia and the disarmament of armed groups are not leading to Damascus re-imposing its power over liberated territories.
It explained that the residents of towns included in agreements are being shut off from the outside world by Russian police checkpoints. These residents often benefit from humanitarian aid while remaining under semi-autonomous rule.
Such action was initially justified by citing the residents’ fear of the “intelligence agencies and gangs that tended to brutally purge liberated towns. The Russians prevented these practices during the liberation of eastern Aleppo.”
After the liberation, Moscow insisted on deploying Russian police, barring Iranian or pro-Iranian groups from carrying out reprisals in the region.
