Putin claims Russia is not defeated by the fall of Bashar al-Assad
Last Updated on December 22, 2024 6:57 am
Bashar al-Assad held power in Syria for two decades. Russia played a major role in keeping him in power even during the civil war that raged for almost a decade.
Syrian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is not defeated by the fall of the Assad government. Assad and his family are currently in political asylum in Syria. However, Putin has not yet met Assad.
Al Jazeera reported this in a report on Thursday (December 19).
The program, titled ‘Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin’, was broadcast live on Russia’s main state channels on Thursday. There, he answered journalists’ questions on various recent issues, including the war in Ukraine, relations with Donald Trump and the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
When asked about the fall of the Syrian Bashar al-Assad government, Putin said that it was not a defeat for the Kremlin. Russia has long been providing military support to Bashar’s government. However, the Russian president has not acknowledged Russia’s defeat in Syria, but has acknowledged that the situation there is complex.
Putin said he has not yet spoken to the ousted Syrian leader. Bashar fled Syria in the face of the rebels’ offensive in Damascus and is currently taking refuge in Moscow. Putin said he would speak to Bashar soon.
Putin also said he was discussing with Syria’s new rulers the possibility of setting up two strategically important military bases there. He also said he would consider using the two Moscow bases for humanitarian purposes.
Bashar’s father, Hafez al-Assad, was in power in Syria from 1971 to 2000. Bashar came to power after his father’s death. Although he initially pursued a reformist path, he later became an authoritarian ruler like his father. He was accused of human rights violations and harsh repression of opponents.
As a result, anti-Bashar protests began in 2011 during the “Arab Spring”. It gradually turned into a bloody civil war. That civil war lasted for almost 13 years. During this time, Assad received the unwavering support of Russia and Iran. Assad saw his downfall after just 12 days in a new campaign by the rebels that began on November 27.