Daily Sabah
Putin vows support for Syria's unity in call with al-Sharaa
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow on Feb. 7, 2025. (AFP Photo)


Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to support Syria's territorial integrity as he spoke with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Kremlin said Wednesday, their first contact since the fall of Moscow-ally Bashar Assad last year.

"Vladimir Putin wished success to Ahmed al-Sharaa in solving the tasks facing the new leadership of the country for the benefit of the Syrian people," the Kremlin said in a readout, adding that Putin emphasized his support for Syria's "territorial integrity."

Putin confirmed Russia's readiness to assist the new administration in addressing socio-economic problems in Syria, including providing humanitarian assistance, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The two leaders agreed to maintain contact.

Assad fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending his family's decades-long rule. Sharaa was declared the president in January.

Russia was a chief backer of Assad, the dictator who was toppled by anti-regime forces in December, and is hoping to retain the use of its naval and air bases in Syria.