Putin, al-Sharaa Meet in Kremlin to Relaunch Syria Ties

Syria's transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, marking the start of a new phase in the two countries' relations after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The main leitmotif of the talks was Damascus's clear intention to restart relations with Moscow and lay the groundwork for future cooperation.

In his speech, al-Sharaa emphasized that Syria's new authorities intend to restore and rethink ties with Russia. "Syria will try to recreate its relations with Russia... Now the most important thing, of course, is stability. Stability, both in the country and in the entire region," he said. The Syrian leader noted that Russia and Syria are linked by "historical ties" and that Moscow will have a "serious role" in the development of the new Syria. He also added that "Syria relies on many achievements that Russia has allowed to be reached in various fields."

In turn, President Putin noted that Syria is going through "difficult times" but expressed hope that the recent parliamentary elections will strengthen cooperation between all political forces in the country. The Russian leader specifically emphasized the historical context, insisting that throughout its history, Russia has "always been guided by the interests of the Syrian people, not political expediency" in its relations with Syria.

Turning to the future, al-Sharaa assured that Syria respects all previously concluded agreements between Moscow and Damascus and seeks to "define a new nature of bilateral relations." In effect, the meeting became a public demonstration of the readiness of both sides to maintain the partnership despite the change of power in Syria, while at the same time adapting it to the new realities in the region.