Russian president Vladimir Putin and Syrian interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa. Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian former dictator whom Mr al-Shara overthrew, has taken refuge in Russia. Photograph: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP
The Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, travelled to Moscow on Wednesday for talks with Vladimir Putin, marking their first meeting since the fall of the Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad and his subsequent exile in Russia.
The talks underscored Moscow’s efforts to safeguard its military foothold in Syria and forge relations with the new rulers in Damascus, with both sides taking a pragmatic approach despite having been enemies only a year ago.
The meeting is notable given that Mr Sharaa, a former jihadist, led the successful rebellion against the Moscow-backed Assad regime last year, in which
Continue Reading on The Irish Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.