The US administration denied that Assad was trying to reach out to it

The information that former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad tried to contact Washington is not true. This was stated by a representative of the US administration at a briefing on December 8.

"We have not received any serious appeals from Assad. Moreover, even if there were such attempts, we would not take them seriously," TASS quoted him as saying.

He also emphasized that the US authorities were working to secure the weapons possessed by the Syrian army. The official pointed out that it could be about chemical weapons.

"We are doing everything we can to carefully make sure that these materials are in our sight, are not accessible to anyone and are under supervision. We have a number of efforts in that regard, including engaging some of our partners in the region. So we are paying a lot of attention to this," he noted.

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Earlier in the day, Bloomberg reported on Assad's attempts to contact the U.S. administration and U.S . President-elect Donald Trump. It is reported that the president of the Arab republic tried through Saudi Arabia to convey to Washington a proposal to end relations with allegedly Iranian-backed militant groups in exchange for Western intervention to stop fighting in the republic.

At the time, Trump also urged the US not to intervene in Syria. According to him, Syrian militants are now preparing to take "serious steps to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad."

On November 29, the Syrian army launched a counteroffensive against the positions of the terrorist group's militants, who captured more than 20 settlements north and west of the city of Aleppo, and during the fighting liberated the city of al-Bakum. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called the terrorists' activation part of the US plan amid Israel's defeat in Lebanon. At the same time, the White House denied its involvement in the events.

December 8, it became known that former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in Moscow with his family. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, he resigned as head of state.

AFP news agency reported on December 8 about a fire in the presidential palace of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. And the National Coalition of Revolutionary and Opposition Forces of Syria said it was working on the formation of a "transitional governing body".

In turn, Britain, the United States, France and Germany called on all sides in Syria to de-escalate, and Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said that Russia strongly condemns the terrorists' outburst and reminded that the Russian Armed Forces are operating in Syria at the request of the legitimate authorities in Damascus and are fighting back against terrorists.