Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the fall of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad did not represent a “defeat” for Russia, asserting that Moscow had successfully achieved its goals in Syria.
Assad fled to Moscow earlier this month after a surprise rebel advance ended decades of Assad family rule, marked by repression, widespread human rights abuses, and a prolonged civil war.
His departure came more than 13 years after his brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests that triggered the conflict.
Russia had been Assad’s key ally and intervened militarily in 2015, shifting the course of the war.
“You want to present what is happening in Syria as a defeat for Russia,” Putin said during his annual end-of-year press conference.
“I assure you it is not,” he responded to a question from an American journalist.
“We went to Syria ten years ago to prevent the creation of a terrorist enclave similar to what happened in Afghanistan. Overall, we have achieved our goal,” Putin stated.
The Kremlin leader added that he had not yet met with Assad in Moscow but planned to soon.
“I haven’t spoken with President Assad since his arrival in Moscow, but I will definitely meet him and have a discussion,” he said.
This marked Putin’s first public comments on the situation in Syria since Assad’s fall.
Moscow remains focused on securing two crucial military bases in the region—the Tartus naval base and the Hmeimim air base. These bases have served as vital outposts for Russia’s military operations in Africa and the Middle East.
Putin emphasized that there is strong regional support for Russia maintaining its presence at these bases.
“We maintain contact with all those who have control there, as well as with the countries of the region. The overwhelming majority supports our military bases remaining in Syria,” Putin said.
He also confirmed that Russia had facilitated the evacuation of 4,000 Iranian troops at Tehran’s request.
