US-Helsinki Commission holds hearing on reducing Russia’s influence in Syria
The US federal government’s Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki) is preparing to hold a hearing in the US House of Representatives in Washington on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, under the title: “Securing the Transformation in Syria by Reducing Russian Influence”.
The session aims to discuss possible ways to reduce Russia’s military, political, and economic presence in Syria and the region, with a focus on the role played by Russian air and naval bases in supporting the regime of ousted President Bashar al Assad during the years of the Syrian revolution, and the accompanying widespread violations that resulted in hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties.
According to the session’s introductory documents, Syria is the only country outside the borders of the former Soviet Union that hosts permanent Russian bases, which has allowed Moscow to expand its military influence in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Africa.
The Helsinki Commission believes that reducing Russia’s presence in Syria is an essential step towards achieving long-term stability, considering that Moscow’s policies have historically contributed to deepening violence and strengthening economic and political dependence.
The Commission pointed out that Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa has an opportunity to re-establish Syrian sovereignty and demand that Russia be held accountable for its role in the violations witnessed in the country over the past decade, stressing that reducing Russian influence is a necessary condition for any sustainable peace.
According to the agenda, the session will discuss three main themes:
The legacy of Russian support for the Assad regime.
The extent to which the Russian presence in Syria can be reduced or terminated.
Moscow’s ability to resist pressures aimed at weakening its influence in the Middle East and Africa.
The session will be chaired by Republican Senator Joe Wilson, chairman of the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Middle East Affairs, with the participation of a number of researchers and experts, including:
Anna Borshchevskaya – The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Michael Doran – Center for Middle East Peace and Security (Hudson Institute).
Richard Outzen – Atlantic Council.
In a comment on X, Sen. Wilson considered that the new Syrian government has shown promising signs, stressing that ending the Russian military presence in Syria will enhance the security of the region and limit Moscow’s movements in the Mediterranean and Africa.
The Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), known as the Helsinki Committee, is an independent body established in 1976 to monitor the commitment of signatories to the Helsinki Conventions to human rights and fundamental freedoms.
For more than four decades, the Commission has played a pivotal role in promoting comprehensive security within the 57-nation OSCE space, by supporting democracy, human rights, and economic and military cooperation.
