Syria's Sharaa meets Putin in Moscow for first time since Assad's fall
Key Takeaways
- Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for the first time since Assad's ouster.
- The leaders emphasized pragmatism to foster a new working relationship, despite past enmity during the Syrian civil war.
- Sharaa indicated Syria would respect existing agreements, ensuring Russia's continued access to its military bases in Syria.
- Syria seeks Russian assistance for its economy, energy sector, and infrastructure repair, while Russia desires continued military access.
- Sharaa is expected to request the extradition of former President Bashar al-Assad, who is currently in asylum in Moscow.
Syria's interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, marking the first high-level contact since Assad's removal ten months prior, a conflict where Putin supported Assad and Sharaa's forces led the rebels. The meeting prioritized pragmatism over past enmity, with Putin highlighting the "special relationship" and expressing readiness for "interesting and useful undertakings." Sharaa confirmed his intent to respect prior agreements, signaling continued Russian access to the Tartous naval port and Hmeimim airbase, while requesting Russian assistance for Syria's struggling economy, energy sector, and infrastructure repair. In return for maintaining these strategic ties, Sharaa is expected to seek support to consolidate his power and secure borders. However, underlying tensions remain, as Sharaa is reportedly set to request the extradition of the exiled Bashar al-Assad to face war crimes trials, a move Russia, which granted Assad asylum, is unlikely to accept.
