In a striking sign of shifting alliances and new beginnings, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa touched down in Moscow on October 15, 2025, for his first official visit since leading the uprising that ended Bashar al-Assad’s long rule. The meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin marked a pivotal moment, as both leaders sought to chart a new course for relations between their countries—despite having been on opposite sides of Syria’s brutal 13-year civil war.
The scene at the Kremlin was remarkable: Putin, who had backed Assad with military might for years, now stood shoulder to shoulder with the man whose forces had ultimately driven Assad from power in December 2024. According to AP, Putin welcomed al-Sharaa warmly, praising the historic ties between Moscow and Damascus and expressing hope for their expansion. "During this time, relations between Syria and Russia have always been exclusively friendly," Putin declared, underscoring that Russia had always acted "guided by the interests of the Syrian people."
Al-Sharaa, for his part, was keen to emphasize continuity as well as transformation. "We are trying to restore and define in a new way the nature of this relationship," he told Putin in front of cameras, according to Reuters and AFP. He assured the Russian leader that Damascus would honor all past agreements, while also seeking "independence for Syria, sovereign Syria, and also its territorial unity and integrity and its security stability." Despite the dramatic reversal of fortunes—Assad, once the Kremlin’s man in Damascus, is now living in exile in Russia—both leaders projected a sense of pragmatism and forward-looking cooperation.
The topics on the table were anything but trivial. Russia’s military bases on the Syrian coast—its only such outposts outside the former Soviet Union—remain a vital interest for Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the future of these bases was on the agenda. Russia, having focused much of its recent military attention on Ukraine, has kept only a small contingent in Syria, but it is determined to maintain its foothold in the Mediterranean. As The New York Times noted, the Hmeimim Air Base has even served as a logistics hub for Russian operations in Africa.
For Syria’s new leadership, the stakes are equally high. Al-Sharaa’s government faces a daunting task: rebuilding a country shattered by more than a decade of war, consolidating control over fractious regions, and shoring up international legitimacy. Kurdish-led militias backed by the United States still hold much of northeast Syria, while Druse minority militias control parts of the south. With the nation still fractured, al-Sharaa is seeking Moscow’s assistance to help unify and reconstruct Syria. According to AP, Russian oil shipments have already begun arriving to aid the struggling Syrian economy.
Yet, the legacy of the past loomed large over the talks. Putin’s decision not to intervene as al-Sharaa’s forces toppled Assad in December 2024 was a calculated one. Instead, Russia granted asylum to Assad and his family, citing humanitarian reasons. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking just days before the summit, emphasized that Assad was given refuge because he "faced physical extermination," and dismissed rumors of poisoning as unfounded. The sensitive issue of Assad’s fate was reportedly on al-Sharaa’s private agenda for the Moscow visit, with Syrian officials telling Reuters and AFP that he intended to request Assad’s extradition. However, there was no mention of this in al-Sharaa’s public remarks, and experts like Russian military analyst Anton Mardasov suggested that Putin was unlikely to agree, given the potential damage to Russia’s image.
Despite their divergent wartime histories—al-Sharaa, once a leader in the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda under the name Abu Mohammed al-Julani, fought Russian forces for years—the two leaders struck a tone of cautious optimism. Al-Sharaa highlighted the "long historic relationship" between their countries, particularly in energy and strategic interests. "Russia has close and longstanding relations with Syria, which relate to the basic structure of the state and to energy and food, for which Syria depends partly on Russian supplies, as well as some old strategic interests," he told CBS News’ 60 Minutes in a recent interview.
Putin, meanwhile, took the opportunity to praise Syria’s recent parliamentary elections—the first since Assad’s ouster—as a sign of progress. "This is a great success for you, as it leads to the consolidation of society," he told al-Sharaa. "Despite Syria currently going through difficult times, it will nevertheless strengthen ties and interaction between all political forces in Syria." These elections, held in October 2025, were hailed by the Kremlin as a step toward stabilizing the country and uniting its fractured political landscape.
The timing of the meeting was also notable. A planned Russia-Arab summit was postponed, as Putin sought to avoid interfering with a Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. Instead, the focus shifted to the bilateral relationship with Syria. Russian delegations had already visited Damascus twice in 2025, and Syria’s Foreign Minister had traveled to Moscow in July, signaling a steady rhythm of diplomatic engagement.
Al-Sharaa’s outreach to Moscow is part of a broader strategy to diversify Syria’s foreign relationships. According to The New York Times, he has even engaged in talks with Israel—an extraordinary step for a Syrian leader—in a bid to secure his government’s position on the international stage. For Damascus, maintaining ties with Russia is not just about military support; it is also about accessing Russian expertise and resources to rebuild infrastructure, particularly in the vital energy sector.
Yet, the shadow of the past remains. The war left deep scars, and the new government’s legitimacy is still contested by various factions inside and outside Syria. Al-Sharaa’s promise to use "all available legal means" to demand Assad’s trial, as he told CBS News, is both a signal to his domestic audience and a message to the international community that the new Syria is committed to justice—at least in rhetoric.
For Moscow, the relationship with Damascus remains a key pillar of its broader Middle East strategy. As Anton Mardasov explained, "the Russian authorities want to maintain their air bases and port access in Syria, the only country in the Middle East where the Kremlin has a permanent military footprint." The ability to pivot from supporting Assad to working with his successor demonstrates, if nothing else, the Kremlin’s adaptability on the world stage.
As the two leaders wrapped up their meeting, the sense was clear: both sides are navigating a delicate transition, balancing old loyalties with new realities. The path ahead may be fraught with challenges, but for now, Moscow and Damascus are betting on pragmatism—and on each other—as they try to shape the next chapter of Syria’s history.