Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led the rebel offensive that toppled former President Bashar Assad last year, met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday in his first visit to the country that granted asylum to the ousted leader.
Putin welcomed al-Sharaa at the Kremlin, highlighting the historic relationship between Russia and Syria and expressing hope to deepen bilateral cooperation. The meeting signaled Moscow’s intent to build working ties with Syria’s new leadership and maintain its military foothold in the war-torn nation.
Despite being on opposing sides during the Syrian conflict, the interim government in Damascus has adopted a pragmatic stance toward Moscow, which still operates air and naval bases along Syria’s coast and has continued limited energy shipments to the country.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said discussions included the future of Russia’s military bases in Syria.
According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, al-Sharaa and Putin discussed regional and international developments and explored avenues for cooperation “to serve the common interests of both nations.”
Al-Sharaa, in his televised remarks, underscored the “long historic relationship” and “common interests” between the two countries, saying Syria continues to rely on Russian expertise, especially in energy. “We are trying to restore and redefine the nature of this relationship,” he said.
Putin praised Syria’s recent parliamentary elections as a “big success” that would help consolidate national unity.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier this week that Moscow offered Assad asylum on humanitarian grounds, rejecting speculation that the former president had been poisoned.
For Damascus, maintaining relations with Moscow is seen as crucial for post-war reconstruction and balancing foreign partnerships. For Russia, Syria remains strategically vital as the location of its only military bases outside the former Soviet Union and a key asset in expanding influence across the Middle East.