Sharaa to meet Putin in Moscow as Russia shifts forces in Syria

MOSCOW

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, in his second trip to Russia since Assad’s ouster in late 2024.

The Kremlin said the leaders would discuss the state of bilateral ties and prospects for cooperation “in various fields,” as well as the situation in the Middle East.

The visit comes as Moscow seeks to preserve its military footprint in Syria, anchored by the Hmeimim air base and the Tartus naval facility on the Mediterranean coast.

Sharaa is also expected to raise the fate of former president Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia after being toppled.

Two Syrian sources previously told Reuters that Sharaa would formally request Assad’s handover to face trial.

Separately, Russia has begun pulling troops and equipment from Qamishli airport in Syria’s Kurdish-held northeast, according to Syrian sources and journalists on the ground. Multiple Syrian sources said the drawdown started last week, with some matériel moved to Hmeimim or back to Russia.

The Associated Press said its journalists visited a base near Qamishli airport and found it largely vacated, with Syrian Democratic Forces personnel saying Russian equipment had been moved out in recent days.

Russia has deployed forces at Qamishli airport since 2019, though the contingent has been smaller than at its coastal bases.

The shift underscores Moscow’s recalibration after Assad’s fall — a major setback for Russian influence built over years of military support during the civil war.