Putin holds first call with new Syrian leader after fall of ally Assad

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa held their first phone call since the fall of Moscow ally Bashar al-Assad last year, the Kremlin says.

Moscow has been keen to secure its two military bases in the war-torn country, both of which were left vulnerable after Assad was ousted by rebels in a major setback for Russia’s foreign policy.

“Vladimir Putin wished success to Ahmed al-Sharaa in solving the tasks facing the new leadership of the country for the benefit of the Syrian people,” the Kremlin says in a readout of the call.

“The Russian side emphasized its principled position in support of the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian state,” it adds.

Moscow helped keep Assad in power when it intervened in the Syrian civil war in 2015, launching devastating aerial strikes on rebel-held areas.

When rebels swept into Damascus in a lightning offensive in December, Russia granted Assad asylum, angering many Syrians including the country’s new rulers.

Syria’s new leadership last month urged Moscow to “address past mistakes” during talks with Russian officials, which they said had touched on “the brutal war waged by the Assad regime.”