February 3, 2026.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, former leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Syria’s al-Qaeda branch, assumed power late in 2024 after ousting Bashar al-Assad. Fourteen months later on, January 28, Sharaa made his second visit to Russia, “attempting to repair relations” and hash out details surrounding the future of Russia’s “military presence in Syria.” The two first met in October 2025, where Sharaa promised to “respect all agreements” surrounding Russian military installations in Syria. Last week, Putin congratulated Sharaa for his move to restore territorial order, with Sharaa telling Putin that Russia “plays an important role in stabilizing” Syria and the larger Middle East. The two leaders allegedly spoke about a security arrangement in the Golan Heights which would serve as a buffer against Israeli presence and incursions. However, shortly before the talks Russia withdrew its forces from the Qamishli airport in Syria, likely as a move to keep Russia isolated from the ongoing clashes between Syrian security forces and the Kurdish-led SDF.

Both the U.S and Russia appear to hold similar military and diplomatic status in Syria under the new regime. Both states have begun withdrawing forces from the region due to recent government clashes with the SDF. This scenario therefore demonstrates that both the U.S and Russia are reluctant to engage in any sort of armed conflict in the region, either through direct military confrontation or proxy warfare. Therefore, diplomacy remains the primary tool used by both actors. However, in this case U.S diplomacy has been ineffective in finalizing and enacting an effective and realistic integration agreement between Damascus and the SDF. Therefore, without increased pressure and compromise, negotiations will stall and conflict will continue.

On the other hand, and according to The National Context, the Pentagon still funds the SDF, setting aside $130 million in aid to the SDF and Free Syrian Army. There are three policy options that Washington may peruse. The first being the status quo, in which the SDF faces pushback from Syrian state forces and loses territory due to an “abandonment” by the Trump administration. Second, the Pentagon may increase its funding to the SDF, allowing them to increase their defenses and prevent advances from the Syrian army, giving the U.S increased influence and countering Russian moves. Third, the Pentagon cuts financial support for the SDF. That being said, keeping the status quo in Syria will lead to the SDF losing strategic territory and resources assets it has controlled for nearly a decade, weakening its capacity. Lastly, the demise of the SDF will dismantle the organizational structure that made the counter-ISIS partnership effective.

Syria’s Sharaa turns to Russia amid SDF clashes, Israeli incursions |

Russian troops begin evacuating from northern Syria – FDD’s Long War Journal

U.S. Plans to Fold SDF into Syrian Army—So Why Fund It in 2026? – The National Context