First telephone conversation held between Putin and Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa

The phone call marked the first high-level communication between Moscow and Damascus after the change of government that happened in Syria at the end of 2024.The heads of state discussed the situation in Syria, where a transition period is expected to last until March 1, 2025, and was declared after opposition forces conducted a successful offensive and formed a “salvation government.”

President Putin emphasized that Russia remained committed to the principle of “unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Syrian state.”

Also discussed was the need to implement a series of measures in order to ensure a sustainable improvement of the situation in the country and step up intra-Syrian dialogue involving the leading political, ethnic, and religious groups.

The Russian president confirmed that Moscow was ready to continue assisting Damascus in improving the social and economic situation, particularly by providing humanitarian support.

President Putin and al-Sharaa also discussed cooperation in trade, economics, education, and other fields, particularly based on the outcome of the talks that a Russian inter-agency delegation held in Damascus recently. The leaders further agreed “to maintain this sort of useful communication” to boost bilateral cooperation.

Sources familiar with the talks suggested that Russia seeks to retain its naval base in Tartus and the Hmeimim airbase near the port city of Latakia, but Moscow believes other steps must be taken first before discussing such issues. According to these sources, Moscow would like to reopen its embassy in Damascus, following the lead of other European and regional countries.