Russian President Vladimir Putin met Tuesday in Moscow with Syria’s foreign and defense ministers to discuss political, military and economic cooperation, according to Syria’s state-run news agency. Putin hosted Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Defense Minister Marhaf Abu Qasra for talks on issues of “mutual interest,” including cooperation in military industries, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.
During the meeting, Putin reaffirmed Russia’s support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, SANA said. Russia has long been a key ally of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, who now lives in Moscow under Russian protection after being ousted from power.
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Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov
(Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters)
Putin rejected “any project aimed at dividing the country,” the report said, and condemned what it described as repeated Israeli violations of Syrian territory, calling them a direct threat to regional stability and security. Israeli forces currently hold areas in the buffer zone on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights and on Mount Hermon.
According to SANA, Putin and the Syrian ministers exchanged views on regional and international developments and stressed the importance of political and diplomatic coordination between Damascus and Moscow in international forums. They also reaffirmed the need to respect international law and rejected what they described as external interference in the internal affairs of states.
The meeting also focused on expanding military-technical cooperation to strengthen the defensive capabilities of Syria’s army, including modernizing military equipment, transferring technical expertise and expanding cooperation in research, the report said. The sides also discussed prospects for expanding trade and economic cooperation. Al-Shaibani separately met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
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Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in October
(Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko / POOL / AFP)
Russia was a crucial supporter of Assad’s government, particularly during Syria’s long civil war, and played a central role in preventing the regime’s collapse. However, Russia’s focus and resources shifted after its invasion of Ukraine, leading to a decline in support for Damascus.
Late last year, rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist group formerly linked to al-Qaida, captured large swaths of Syrian territory. Russia provided only limited support to Assad, and within days his government collapsed. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa later became Syria’s president.
Relations between Russia and Syria have since warmed. Syrian authorities have allowed Russian forces to deploy in the country, as they did under Assad. Russia’s major military bases in Tartus and Hmeimim remained operational after Assad’s fall, and discussions have been underway regarding their future.
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Vladimir Putin and former Syrian President Bashar Assad at the Kremlin in July last year
(Photo: Valery Sharifulin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
“We are working to redefine the relationship in a way that serves Syria’s interests first,” al-Shaibani said last month. During a meeting between Putin and al-Sharaa in October, the Syrian president said the two countries shared strong ties and were working to redefine the nature of their relationship.
Russia has also coordinated its Syria policy with Israel and has sought to mediate between Damascus and Jerusalem on a potential security arrangement in southern Syria. The talks come amid Israel’s support for the Druze community in Syria’s Sweida province and demands that they be protected from Syrian government forces. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently spoke with Putin and said in a speech to parliament about two weeks ago that he maintains frequent contact with the Russian leader. The United States is also heavily involved and has been pushing for a security agreement between Israel and Syria.
Meanwhile, international media reports say Assad has begun a new life in Moscow under Putin’s protection. Germany’s Die Zeit reported in October that Assad spent hours playing computer games and visited shopping malls in Moscow. The Guardian reported this month that the former Syrian leader is learning Russian and refreshing his knowledge of ophthalmology, the profession he trained for while studying in London. The report also said his wife, Asma al-Assad, has recovered from cancer.
First published: 05:12, 12.25.25