Syrian billboards supporting Putin seen as 'unjustified provocation'

Huge billboards proclaiming Syria's support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war on Ukraine have popped up around Damascus in recent days.

Erected by the Damascus Chamber of Industry, most likely with high-level political support, the billboards show Putin posing alone or shaking hands with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Syrian activist Mohammed al-Beik said.

They are emblazoned with phrases such as "Victory for Russia," and "We support Russia", that demonstrate the regime's support for Russia's war of aggression.

But these billboards do not reflect the view of most Syrians and may cost the country international support, observers warn.

The erection of billboards coincides with "a wave of skyrocketing prices and further collapse of the exchange rate of the Syrian pound", al-Beik noted with irony.

Some basic commodities are disappearing from the markets in Syria already, as a direct consequence of Russia's war in Ukraine, he added, and the situation is likely to get much worse.

Belarus, which is a key supplier of wheat to Syria, has stopped the export of basic materials on account of the war, he said, and it is expected that Russia soon will follow suit.

It is possible that other countries could halt export operations as well, he added, as the impact of the war ripples out across the globe.

Provocative displays

The actions taken by the Damascus Chamber of Industry seem to be part of a wider Syrian regime effort to show support for its ally Russia, Syrian activist Faisal al-Ahmad told Al-Mashareq.

Pro-Russia units of the Syrian army have been staging car rallies, in which the Russian flag is displayed alongside the Syrian flag, with participants chanting pro-Russia slogans.

"Some military vehicles were marked with the letter 'Z' in apparent imitation of the marking used on Russian military vehicles in the war in Ukraine to distinguish them from similar Ukrainian military vehicles," al-Ahmad said.

These moves did not go over well with Syrian civilians, especially in Homs, he said, "where they were seen as an unjustified provocation".

"The folly undertaken by the Chamber of Industry in Damascus and other areas under Russian occupation is meant to elevate Putin personally, not just Russia -- a practice that has been used in Syria for decades," al-Ahmad noted.

Since the time of former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, individuals have been deified at the expense of the people, he said, describing this as "an archaic practice that is worthless and yields no political or economic gains".

Little support for Putin

The manifestations of support for Putin "do not express the opinion of Syrian society in general", al-Ahmad said, noting that the high level of exposure these efforts receive in Russian media "exposes the truth about them".

It is all part of the ongoing "media war", he said, in reference to Russian propaganda efforts.

"Unfortunately, Syrians have become a tool of this war" for the Kremlin.

Russia also exploited Syria to hone its military know-how and tactics. And it has made no secret of it.

It has freely admitted it tested all of the Russian latest weapons systems there, using Syrians as guinea pigs and their country as a training ground.

Syrian economist Mahmoud Mustafa warned that erecting billboards of Putin and showing support for his war of aggression can only make things worse for Syria, at a time when the regime is already shunned by most of the world for the war it is waging against its own people.

At this time, Mustafa said, countries around the world have been imposing sanctions on Russia and those who support it "politically and in the media".

Gestures of support for Russia may impact international aid to the Syrians, he said, or lead to an expansion of the sanctions already imposed on Syria.

Damascus industrialists and merchants have been heavily affected by the ongoing war, which has almost wiped out Syrian industry, Mustafa said.

So their decision to erect billboards praising Putin and to engage in other overt displays of support for Russia shows "political and economic idiocy", he said.