The Russian parliament voted on December 21 to extend Russia’s lease of a naval base in Syria for 49 years, following Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a partial pullout of Russian troops from the war-torn country.
Russia’s air campaign in Syria, which began in September 2015, helped turn the tide of the civil war in favor of Moscow’s long-time ally Bashar Assad. Putin earlier this month ordered a partial withdrawal from Syria but said Russia would keep its military presence there.
