Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Wednesday, October 15 that he wanted to “redefine” relations with Moscow. Hosted by Russian president Vladimir Putin in their first meeting since key Kremlin ally Bashar al–Assad was ousted last year, the ‘former’ Islamist warlord aimed to reset his country’s dealings with the Kremlin.
In front of television cameras, Putin greeted al-Sharaa warmly at the Kremlin. However, behind closed doors the Syrian leader was expected to push for Moscow to extradite Assad, who fled to Moscow after being toppled.
Russia was a key ally of Assad during the 14-year Syrian civil war, providing vital military support that kept his forces and family in power. However, he was ousted last December in an offensive led by Sharaa’s Islamist forces, later fleeing to Russia—which has been sheltering him and his entourage for the past 10 months.
In remarks at the start of the meeting, Sharaa acknowledged the two countries’ historic ties but said he wanted a recalibration, as he brings Damascus in from its isolation on the world stage.
We are trying to restore and redefine in a new way the nature of these relations so there is independence for Syria, sovereign Syria, and also its territorial unity, integrity and its security stability.
