Russia Could Agree to Remove Bashar al-Assad, Source Close to Kremlin Reveals

Despite no official statements in this regard, several Russian-based sources have hinted that the Russian government could be seriously interested in a new political leadership in Syria, suggesting that President Vladimir Putin might soon agree to remove Al-Assad, whom he has backed since the start of the Syrian uprising back in March 2011.

According to the Middle East Monitor, a report published by a Russian think tank called (RIAC), founded by the Ministry of Education and Science, is discussing Putin's plans for Syria, including giving up on long-time ally Bashar Al-Assad.

The report explains that Al-Assad, who's "unable to rule the country," has become "more of a burden" to the Russian leadership fearing "being dragged into a scenario similar to that in Afghanistan," and that those Russian considerations could facilitate an agreement with Iran and Turkey, two main players in the war-torn country, to replace him soon.

In their report, MEM predicted that the potential trilateral agreement could lead to a transitional government in Syria, one that includes representatives of the Syrian opposition, in addition to members of the regime and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), but not the Syrian president.

Social media users have linked the unverified news with "recent Russian remarks" they perceived as "critical of Al-Assad."

Last week, Bloomberg reported Putin's efforts to pressure Al-Assad to engage in direct talks with the Syrian opposition, in order to reach a long-lasting agreement.

In the report where the Syrian instability was dubbed by a Russian aid to Putin as "the Syrian headache," Al-Assad's inflexibility caused the Russian president to 'let his impatience show,' especially as he tries to tackle unusual circumstances caused by the coronavirus outbreak and plunging oil prices.

Moreover, Twitter users hinted that a change in the Russian stance could explain the most recent conflict between the Syrian President and his cousin, the well-known businessman Rami Makhlouf, who has spoken out against Al-Assad's economic policies in several viral videos, accusing his cousin of "trying to kill his successful business."

Yet, the Iranian stance remains unchanged at least officially, as they continue to back Al-Assad militarily since the start of the Syrian conflict 9 years ago.