Putin grants asylum to Assad amid fled from Syria
Photo: Putin granted asylum to Assad (Getty Images)
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Vladimir Putin has decided to grant asylum in Russia to Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted from the post of Syrian president as a result of a lightning offensive by rebels, according to Reuters.
“Such decisions cannot be made without the head of state. This is his decision,” Peskov told reporters without elaborating.
On December 8, Russian news agencies cited an unnamed Kremlin source as saying that Assad was in Moscow with his family.
Assad's fall was a serious blow to Iran and Russia, which intervened in Syria's 13-year civil war to try to strengthen his rule.
Assad's departure eliminated a bastion through which Iran and Russia had destabilized the Middle East. Assad's father, Hafez al-Assad, sided with the Soviet Union to try to achieve parity with US-backed Israel.
Russian bases
The Kremlin has said that “extreme instability” prevails in Syria, and it is too early to talk about the future of Russian bases in the country.
“We are in dialogue with Ankara and other regional states, including on Syrian affairs. Indeed, Syria is going to have a very difficult period now, due to instability. And, of course, it is very important to maintain a dialogue with all regional countries here. We are determined to do this,” Peskov said.
It is unclear how Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the formerly al-Qaeda-linked organization that has led the rebel offensive, will treat Russian military installations in Syria - the Hmeymim air base in Latakia province and the Tartus naval facility on the coast.
“It's premature to talk about it yet,” Peskov said. - “This is all a subject for discussion with those who will be in power in Syria.
“Of course, everything is being done now that is necessary and everything that is possible in order to get in touch with those who can deal with security. And, of course, our military is also taking all necessary precautions,” Peskov said.
The Tartus facility is Russia's only repair and resupply center in the Mediterranean, and Moscow has been using Syria as a staging area for mercenaries to and from Africa.
“We see the situation around Ukraine, we see a lot of contradictory statements on this issue, we see the growing conflict potential in other regions, we can say the Middle East is on fire,” Peskov said.
Moscow has supported Syria since the early days of the Cold War, recognizing its independence in 1944 when Damascus sought to overthrow French colonial rule. The West considered Syria a Soviet satellite.
Read more about the situation in Syria in RBC-Ukraine's article “Fragile victory: Why Assad's regime collapsed so quickly and what’s next for Syria”.
