Russia said it had held "open" talks with Syria's new de facto leader as it seeks to retain its two military bases in the country, but declined to comment on what he is seeking in return, Reuters reports.
A Syrian source familiar with the talks told Reuters that the new leader, Ahmed al-Shara, had asked Moscow to hand over former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia when rebel forces ousted him from power in December.
Syria's Sana news agency reported that Damascus also wants Russia, which supported Assad during the civil war, to restore trust through "concrete measures such as compensation, reconstruction and recovery."
Asked to confirm whether Russia had been asked to extradite Assad and pay compensation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, Reuters reports.
Russia, whose troops and air force have supported Assad against Syrian rebels for years, is seeking to retain its naval base at Tartus and the Hmeimim air base near the port city of Latakia. Losing them would severely weaken its ability to project power in the region.
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