Russian and Syrian Leaders Meet as Middle East Tensions Grow
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Raven Ruma
- . July 25, 2024
- . Update: July 25, 2024 9:32 pm
The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian leader Bashar Assad was held in Moscow. They discussed problems related to both countries. Putin told Assad that he was genuinely concerned about the tensions in the Middle East. They gave little detail regarding their talk. Russia always helped Syria in taking care of operations against rebel groups since 2015. Russia still keeps soldiers in Syria despite the shifting of some of its forces to the war in Ukraine.
Something they could have discussed would be how Syria and Turkey are going to be friends again. Russia is trying to work out some sort of situation whereby there’s going to be improved relations between Syria and Turkey. The relationship between these two nations originally came to an end back in 2011 after massive protests broke out in Syria, marking the start of a civil war. Turkey sided with groups fighting against the government under Assad.
Steps Towards Better Ties
In December 2022, the defence ministers of Turkey, Syria, and Russia met in Moscow. This has been the first large-scale meeting between Ankara and Damascus since 2011. Russia has been pulling Ankara and Damascus to the negotiating table gradually.
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What Needs to Happen Next
First, Turkey should withdraw its troops from northern Syria. Turkey would also be asked to stop supporting the groups that Syria calls “terrorists.” The leaders of Turkey and Syria are on record saying they want to repair their relationship; however, problems still exist to be solved.
