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Some reports have indicated that the Biden administration is struggling to reorient after a series of mission shifts has left Washington outpaced by other foreign powers active in the country. Russia is opening the door for potential cooperation with a new US administration as the Syrian deadly civil war marks a grim 10-year milestone. The Russian embassy in Washington informed a news outlet and said, “There is an urgent need for the international community to put aside politically motivated aspirations and join efforts to help the Syrians rebuild their country heavily damaged by the war. There is always room for cooperation between Russia and the US in Syria”. Point to be noted that Washington and Moscow have previously found common ground in Syria in the multinational battle against ISIS (Islamic State militant group).

Both countries fought as part of separate campaigns. Advancing any joint efforts today, however, would mean identifying additional areas of mutual understanding. The Russian embassy said, “We would only welcome collaboration with Washington in providing humanitarian assistance to those in need, countering terrorism, and pushing forward political process with a common goal to achieve peace. We sincerely hope that the new administration will try to rethink previous strategies on Syria. Moscow sees these punitive actions as merely adding to the miseries of everyday Syrians while undermining the sovereignty of a nation suffering from conflict, financial crisis, and COVID-19. It is important to cease the cruel sanction campaign against the Syrian people and put an end to illegal military presence in the Arab Republic”.

It would also entail reconsidering the approaches pursued by Biden’s predecessors. They sought to leverage US economic and military pressure against the Syrian government and its longtime leader, President Bashar al-Assad. It is noteworthy that the Syrian war broke out a decade ago after security forces cracked down hard on anti-government protests. It then evolved into an armed uprising that expanded across the country from the southern city of Daraa. Russia staged a direct military intervention in Syria to aid the pro-government campaign. It quickly started to reverse territorial losses incurred in the earlier years of the conflict. Now, Syria is divided among rival factions. The government controls up to two-thirds of the country as well as the lion’s share of its population. The Syrian Democratic Forces run much of the northeast.