Russian President Vladimir Putin recently met with President Bashar Assad of Syria in the Kremlin, discussing the escalating tensions in the Middle East. Since 2015, Russia has been involved in a military campaign in Syria, supporting Assad’s government in its fight against armed opposition groups. Despite shifting focus to Ukraine, Russia maintains a military presence in Syria.
During their meeting, Putin expressed concern about the increasing tensions in the region and sought Assad’s perspective on the situation. The Kremlin did not divulge specific details of their talks, but it is speculated that the restoration of diplomatic relations between Russia and Turkey may have been on the agenda.
The relationship between Turkey and Syria has been strained since 2011, with Turkey backing insurgent groups against Assad. However, recent signals from Erdogan and Assad indicate a willingness to restore diplomatic ties. Erdogan even suggested a meeting in Moscow, although Turkish officials denied the report.
Assad expressed the conditions for normalizing relations, emphasizing the need for Turkey to withdraw its troops from northern Syria and cease support for insurgent groups labeled as “terrorists” by Damascus.