Yesterday's historic meeting in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and current Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa is one of the central topics in the Western press today, BTA writes.
Putin welcomes the new Syrian leader while still supporting the old one, reads a headline in the American newspaper "New York Times". "The meeting in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is an illustration of the adaptability of two people who were once in conflict", writes Paul Son in the article dedicated to the meeting. The greeting between the leaders in the Kremlin was a remarkable scene in a country that shelters Bashar al-Assad, the ousted predecessor and enemy of the new Syrian leader, the American newspaper notes.
"The meeting demonstrated the clear desire of both the Russian and Syrian leaders to open a new chapter in relations between Moscow and Damascus. During the 13-year civil war in Syria, Putin supported Assad but ultimately failed to protect him when Sharaa's rebel forces stormed Damascus in December“, Son continues in his article.“
“The New York Times“ commented that for Sharaa - a former operative of the terrorist organization "Al Qaeda“ who for years led rebel forces under merciless Russian air strikes in Syria, the historic visit to Moscow is an undeniable victory. Despite his support for Assad, Putin welcomed Sharaa to a gold-studded Kremlin hall – a calculated gesture, as Moscow seeks to maintain its long-standing military bases in Syria, the newspaper said.
As for Putin, the summit demonstrates his diplomatic flexibility as a geopolitical tactician and his willingness to drastically change his messages to serve Russia’s interests, the American publication notes. In his opening remarks to the conversation with Sharaa, the Russian leader highlighted the decades of friendly relations between Moscow and Damascus, dating back to 1944.
Sharaa, in turn, is trying to neutralize external threats to Syria as his government struggles to consolidate control over a country still recovering from war, the "New York Times" emphasized, adding that the talks in the Kremlin lasted more than two and a half hours.
According to another American newspaper – "The Washington Post", the meeting in Moscow has underlined Russia's desire to establish working ties with the new Syrian leadership. Syria's interim president arrived in Moscow despite Russia's support for long-time President Assad, whom Sharaa overthrew late last year in a swift rebel offensive, the publication points out. This is Sharaa's first visit to the country that gave refuge to the authoritarian leader he overthrew, the "Washington Post" notes.
Former enemies met in Moscow, Putin – Sharaa draws attention in one of his leitmotifs for yesterday's meeting, the British newspaper – The Guardian". Ahmed al-Sharaa is trying to rearrange alliances while Putin seeks to protect his military interests in Syria, the publication emphasizes. The leaders of both sides have opted for a pragmatic approach, despite being enemies only a year ago, the Guardian emphasizes.
This daily also draws attention to the fact that Sharaa's forces have been under Russian fire. "The meeting is significant given that Sharaa, a former jihadist, led the successful uprising against the Moscow-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad last year, in which his rebel forces were briefly bombed by Russian jets before Moscow withdrew its support for the Assad family in Syria," writes "The Guardian".
In the Kremlin, Sharaa said that his government was respecting all previously signed agreements between Damascus and Moscow, an indication that Russia would be allowed to keep its military bases on Syrian territory, although the exact scale of their presence remains unclear, the British newspaper notes.
The fate of Russia's two main military bases in Syria has been in doubt since the dramatic fall of the Assad regime, and since then the presence of Moscow's forces there has sharply decreased, the British newspaper emphasizes. The sites are of huge importance to Russia: the Tartus facility gives Putin access to a port, while Moscow uses the Khmeimim air base as a stopover for military forces to and from Africa, the British daily said.
Since Assad's fall, Russia has withdrawn several warships from its Tartus base, dismantled air defense radars and airlifted military equipment and personnel. At the same time, Moscow has continued to supply Syria with oil, grain and other vital resources at reduced prices, the British newspaper noted.
Sharaa made his visit at a time when Russia was forced to postpone a long-planned summit with Arab leaders after a series of refusals from influential regional figures involved in ceasefire talks between Israel and the radical Palestinian group “Hamas“ in the Gaza Strip, recalls “The Guardian“.
Observers compare Moscow's flexible diplomacy towards Syria to its approach to the Taliban in comments for the newspaper. Their group was designated a terrorist organization in 2003, but was attracted by the Kremlin as an ally after seizing power in Afghanistan in 2021, the publication points out. At the same time, Syria may also see Moscow as a counterweight to Israel, which has repeatedly bombed Syrian military sites over the past year, summarizes “The Guardian“.
The Syrian president promised to “start fresh” at his first meeting with Vladimir Putin, another British newspaper, the Financial Times, said, adding that the talks in the Kremlin signaled a reduction in tensions between the new government in Damascus and Moscow, and even a "possible rapprochement". Putin himself hinted at his desire for a new beginning, stating before the meeting that Russia "has never had relations with Syria that were linked to political considerations or special interests", the British publication notes.
The newspaper recalls that before the meeting, Sharaa announced that he would ask Russia to revoke Bashar al-Assad's asylum and extradite him back to Syria to stand trial for war crimes. Last month, Damascus issued an arrest warrant for Assad in absentia, with the country preparing to refer the case to Interpol. When Sharaa's group, "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" launched a surprise offensive to overthrow the Assad regime last year, Russian intervention was limited to a symbolic number of airstrikes, with Moscow doing virtually nothing to stop the rebel advance, according to the "Financial Times".
The publication commented that Sharaa kept the door open for negotiations with Russia both during the offensive and after he seized power, sending ministers and a military delegation to Moscow in July. One of the topics was the future of Russian military bases.
"Financial Times" also emphasizes the fact that Ahmed al-Sharaa's brother and advisor - Maher, has lived and worked in Russia for years and is married to a Russian woman. He was part of the Syrian delegation in Moscow along with the foreign and defense ministers, as well as the intelligence chief, the British daily reported.
„Dear Mr. President, welcome!“: Putin shakes hands with Syrian leader who overthrew the regime of Moscow's close ally Assad“ – this is the leading headline on the subject in the Spanish newspaper – “Pais“. Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa crowned his dizzying appearance before the international community with a warm reception this Wednesday at the home of his former enemy – the Kremlin, the publication writes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with former "Al Qaeda" jihadist just six months after the Kremlin propaganda machine ridiculed the handshake between Sharaa and US President Donald Trump at the White House, writes "Pais", noting that the stake is the future of Russian military bases in Syria and the fate of former dictator Bashar Assad. The new authorities in Damascus want him, but he is granted asylum by Moscow, the Spanish publication notes.
President Sharaa is asking the Russian president to hand over all those who have committed war crimes in Syria and are in Russia, first and foremost Bashar Assad, writes the French newspaper "Figaro", citing Syrian officials. It is alleged that a thousand figures from the Assad regime have fled to Russia, the publication indicates.