Syria’s Bashar al-Assad with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, July 24, 2024
Russia’s Vladimir Putin hosted Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian leader whom he has propped up since 2011, in Moscow on Wednesday.
Assad regime media gave no details, saying the two men discussed “all aspects of relations between the two countries…the situation in the Middle East, the accelerated developments in it, and aspects of joint coordination to deal with it”.
The Kremlin said Putin told Assad, “I am very interested in your opinion on how the situation in the region as a whole is developing. Unfortunately, there is a tendency towards escalation, we can see that. This also applies directly to Syria.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave no other information:
The topic of Ukraine did not come up. Naturally, the topic of political settlement and the state of affairs in the region around Syria was the main topic of the meeting.
In general, there was a fairly broad exchange of views on all topics that are related to the state of affairs in the region, around Syria, of course. Many of the topics you mentioned were also touched upon in one way or another, that’s all I can say.
Russia has provided essential political and economic support to the Assad regime since nationwide protests erupted in March 2011. Moscow’s military intervention in September 2015 prevented Assad’s fall from power. Intense bombing, sieges, and ground assaults killed tens of thousands of civilians as the regime reoccupied much of the territory held by the opposition.
Recently, Russia has been pursuing a meeting between Assad and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, which supported the anti-Assad opposition and broke ties with the regime in 2011.
Erdoğan has indicated that he is open to a meeting. However, a Turkish diplomatic source denied a report that the encounter will be in Moscow in August.
The Assad regime is also urging Russia to check Israeli missiles strikes on Syrian military units. While protecting its positions in Syria with advanced S-400 missiles, Moscow has not used them against the frequent Israeli assaults on regime and Iranian targets.
Putin and Assad last met in Moscow in March 2023. The two men proclaimed more than 40 agreements for “economic cooperation”.
[Editor’s Note: Disinformation from a long-time pro-Assad outlet — the 2023 clash between Arab tribes and the US-support Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces — which we covered at the time — had nothing to do with the oilfields in northeast Syria.]
Battle for Syria’s Oil Pits Local Tribal Forces Against US Occupation: https://www.mintpressnews.com/battle-syria-oil-pits-tribal-forces-us-occupation/288100/