Putin, Still Harboring Assad, Welcomes New Syrian Leader to Moscow Again

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Paul SonneJanuary 28, 2026 at 01:14 PM

AI Summary

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In January 2026, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking his second trip since seizing power in late 2024 after Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia. Al-Sharaa, a former fighter, seeks Russian aid for Syria's reconstruction and has stated Assad must face justice. Putin aims to maintain Russia's military presence in Syria, including air and naval bases. Discussions are expected to cover the evolving relationship between Russia and Syria following the change in government, though the Kremlin declined to comment on Assad's potential extradition. Recent reports indicate Russia is withdrawing forces from Qamishli as the Syrian government establishes control over the Kurdish region.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Tartus 40% Hmeimim Air Base 40% Qaeda 40% Dmitri S. Peskov ×250% Damascus 50% Kremlin ×260% Moscow ×470% Syria ×780% Russia ×580% Bashar al-Assad ×580% Vladimir V. Putin ×690% Ahmed al-Sharaa ×890%

Keywords

russia-syria relations 90% political transition 80% vladimir putin 70% bashar al-assad 70% ahmed al-sharaa 70% military footprint 60% syrian reconstruction 60% hmeimim air base 50% russian airstrikes 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: -0.10

Source Transparency

Source

New York Times - World

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Russia

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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russia-syria relations political transition vladimir putin bashar al-assad ahmed al-sharaa military footprint syrian reconstruction hmeimim air base russian airstrikes

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