Even as Putin shields Assad, Syria’s Sharaa seeks to 'redefine' Moscow ties
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Moscow in a visit overshadowed by the presence of ousted President Bashar al-Assad in Russia and Moscow’s attempts to maintain its military presence in Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday on his first visit to Moscow since the fall of the Assad regime late last year, signaling a potential reset in ties between the two countries.
During their meeting at the Kremlin, Putin praised the “friendly relations” between Russia and Syria, saying these ties have always been guided by the interests of the Syrian people.
“We in Russia have never had any relations with Syria that were tied to political circumstances or special interests. Throughout these decades, we have always been guided by one thing: the interests of the Syrian people,” Putin said.
Putin had been a staunch ally of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. After the civil war erupted in Syria in 2011, Russia provided political and military support to the former regime. In September 2015, it formally entered the war, providing air support to Assad’s forces against the opposition. Russia’s military intervention helped Assad regain much of Syria’s territory in recent years.
