Summary
Following the collapse of the Assad regime, Russia is seeking to secure its military bases in Syria through diplomatic engagement with the new rebel leadership.
The Kremlin is softening its rhetoric towards the Islamist group HTS, which led the revolt against Assad, and has reportedly received assurances from the Syrian opposition regarding the safety of Russian military installations.
This shift in approach suggests a potential strategy similar to Russia’s engagement with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Russians are marching all their soldiers into Turkey for exfil, they’ve received security assurances for their bases for the time being, but from all reports those aren’t open ended, probably only a question of when the Russian bases in Syria have to be shuttered before being overrun