How the loss of its Mediterranean naval base in Syria would weaken Russia as a global power

By Basil Germond, Professor of International Security, Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, Lancaster University

The fall of the Assad regime constitutes a major blow to Russia’s foreign policy and prestige. Not least among the setbacks is the prospect of possibly having to swallow the loss of its only overseas naval base, located in the port of Tartus on Syria’s Mediterranean coast.

The fate of the base is not yet sealed. There can be little doubt that the Kremlin’s top diplomats…

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