The Kremlin has confirmed that ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been given asylum in Russia.
According to Al Jazeera, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday, December 9, 2024, said that the decision to give asylum to the Syrian president was made personally by the Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He told reporters in Moscow, “Of course, such decisions cannot be made without the head of state. It is his (Putin’s) decision.”
However, he declined to reveal the specific whereabouts of al-Assad and asserted that Putin is not planning to meet him.
Al Jazeera’s reporter from Moscow, Yulia Shapovalova, said, “The Russian authorities have granted political asylum. We see reports on our end that Russia has not abandoned the resigned Syrian president in such difficult circumstances. Al-Assad was allegedly evacuated by a Russian plane from the Russian airbase in Latakia.”
Moreover, while talking about the status of Russian military bases in Tartus and Khmeimim, Peskov explained, “This is all a subject for discussion with those who will be in power in Syria. Now we see a period of transformation and extreme instability. Therefore, it will take time. And then a serious conversation will be required with those who will be vested with power.”
Kremlin added that Russia is talking with Türkiye and other regional countries on the issue of Syria.
