According to Syrian sources, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived last night in the Russian capital, Moscow, for an unannounced visit. He also wants to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin today, as announced by the Kremlin and Syrian state news agency SANA. According to the Kremlin, the situation in Syria should also be discussed. The day marks the twelfth anniversary of the outbreak of civil war. Russia is considered one of Assad’s most important allies.
According to the Kremlin, the two countries also want to talk about the development of their political, humanitarian and economic cooperation.
Syria’s ruler Assad has rarely appeared in public since the start of the war. Since the massive earthquakes in the Turkish-Syrian border area in February, however, he has been trying to gain recognition on the international stage and has been more open about meetings and phone calls with other countries. Because of his brutal actions against the Syrian population during the war, he was isolated for a long time. With the help of its allies, Assad’s government now controls about two-thirds of the country again. However, the Syrian leadership is under pressure from Western sanctions.