Putin says Russian Federation intends to continue supporting Syria
Russia will continue to support Syria in stabilizing the situation in the country, but it is up to Syrians themselves to determine its future. Russian President Vladimir Putin said this during a joint press conference with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian on January 17.
"We are ready to continue to provide the Syrian people with the necessary support in normalizing the situation, providing urgent humanitarian aid and launching full-scale post-conflict reconstruction. At the same time, we proceed from the fact that it is up to the Syrians themselves to determine the future in Syria through inclusive dialog," the Russian leader noted.
As the Russian president added, Moscow sincerely wishes that the Syrian people will successfully overcome all the challenges they face in connection with the current transitional period.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on December 8, 2024, that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after negotiations with the opposition, left the post of head of state and left the country, instructing to carry out the transfer of power peacefully. Syria's national coalition of revolutionary and opposition forces said it was working to form a transitional authority. The country is expected to hold a referendum.
Later, on December 19, the Russian leader noted during the "Results of the Year" that Russia has generally achieved its goals in Syria. Putin noted that this was confirmed by internal changes even among those factions in Syria that had fought the government of the defunct Assad in the past. As a result, the US and many European countries now want to establish relations with them, the Russian president added.
The situation in Syria escalated as a result of a major attack by armed groups in Aleppo and Idlib, which began on November 28 and led to the Syrian army's retaliation against the militants.
