Russia is willing to help with the reconstruction of Syria as it continues to seek a deal with the country’s new leadership to retain two vital military bases, according to a senior Middle East policy adviser to the Russian government.

Russia deployed troops to Syria in 2015 to support Assad regime's brutal crackdown against anti-government forces.

Syria's new government has allegedly requested that Russia hand over former President Bashar al-Assad and his close aides, Reuters reported on Jan. 28, citing a Syrian source close to the matter. The demand was reportedly raised during the first negotiations between Syrian officials and a Kremlin delegation following Assad's ouster by rebels in

Syria’s new government pressed Russia for compensation during its first talks with a Kremlin delegation since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria’s new leaders said Wednesday they had discussed “transitional justice” with the first Russian official delegation to visit Damascus since the toppling of long-term Moscow ally Bashar al-Assad. The visit came with Russia keen to secure the fate of two military bases in Syria and after Russian President Vladimir Putin denied that Moscow had suffered