The office of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed a wide range of political and economic topics during discussions in Moscow.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stated that he would welcome any Russian offers to establish additional military sites and increase personnel numbers in the Middle Eastern nation, implying that Moscow's military presence should become permanent.
When Russia entered Syria's civil war in 2015, four years after the country's demonstrations began, it helped tilt the scales in al-Assad's favor assuring his survival despite Western demands that he be ousted.
Syria, Russia Leaders Meet
Al-Assad, who met with President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Wednesday, has backed Moscow's conflict in Ukraine and told Russia's state news agency RIA that Damascus recognizes the territory seized by Moscow in Ukraine. Syria, according to al-Assad, would welcome any Russian plans to establish additional military facilities and increase the number of Russian troops, and these sites would not be transitory.
Also, in an interview with the Russian news agency Sputnik, al-Assad stated that he would not meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan until the end of what he described as Ankara's "illegal occupation" of Syrian territory.
On Thursday, al-Assad said in an interview relayed by Lebanon's pro-Iran Hezbollah's group's al Manar TV station that this is contingent upon Turkey's readiness to withdraw completely from Syrian territory, end its support for terrorism, and restore the situation that existed prior to the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.
Late last year, the defense ministers of the two nations met for the highest-level discussions between the two neighbors, whose governments have been at odds since the start of the Syrian conflict, Al Jazeera reported. On the anniversary of Syria's 12-year uprising-turned-civil war, al-Assad praised Putin for his ongoing support in a conflict that has killed at least 580,000 people and displaced 13 million more.
The two leaders were depicted happy and shaking hands. While Russia has focused the majority of its war efforts on Ukraine, it has maintained a military presence in Syria and maintained jets and personnel at its facilities there. Separate meetings were held in the Kremlin between the Russian and Syrian defense ministers to discuss military cooperation. al-Assad was asked if he would recognize Russia's purportedly new borders.
Per Mirror, al-Assad stated, "Syria's stances are clear and unambiguous, and we have a conviction on this matter, not just because of our alliance with Russia, but also because these regions are historically Russian."
Russia has claimed around one-fifth of Ukraine as its own territory. The takeover of Ukrainian land has been judged unlawful by western powers, and Ukraine has vowed to fight until every last Russian soldier is expelled from Ukraine.
Damascus is a steadfast ally of Russia, which engaged in the Syrian crisis in 2015 by conducting airstrikes in support of the embattled government troops. Damascus regained a significant portion of the land it had lost in the early stages of the conflict with the help of this coalition and Iran.
Meeting Comes After Saudi-Iran Reconciliation Negotiated by China
Since it began in 2011 with the ruthless suppression of anti-government protesters, the Syrian civil war has claimed the lives of about 500,000 people and displaced millions more. al-Assad's administration has been politically isolated in the region, but he has received pleas for help from Arab leaders following the February 6 earthquake that killed tens of thousands in Turkey and Syria.
According to experts, he might use this momentum to strengthen regional support.
After the earthquake, Putin promised Turkey and Syria Russian assistance. Syria's civil conflict has strained relations between Damascus and Ankara, which has supported rebel groups hostile to al-Assad for decades.
In December, the defense ministers of Russia, Turkey, and Syria met for the first time since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. In January, al-Assad stated that a Russian-mediated reconciliation with Turkey should strive to terminate Ankara's occupation of Syrian territory.
Their meeting also follows the unexpected revelation on Friday of the reestablishment of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which was negotiated by China. The last time al-Assad visited Moscow was in September 2021, when he also met with Putin, as per NDTV.
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