MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa on Wednesday for increasing momentum towards restoring the territorial integrity of the Arab Republic after Syrian troops took swathes of territory from Kurdish forces. “I want to congratulate you on the fact that the process of restoring the territorial integrity of Syria is gaining momentum,” Putin told Sharaa in the Kremlin. Sharaa, who ?is making his ?second visit to Russia ?since ousting long-time Moscow ally Bashar al Assad in 2024, thanked Putin for help in stabilising the situation in Syria and the wider region.
Moscow has been working to build relations with him and ensure a continued military presence in the country, which serves to bolster its influence in the Mideast. Russia is withdrawing forces from Qamishli airport in northeast Syria, although it is expected to maintain its larger air base and naval facility on Syria’s Mediterranean coast. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the two leaders would discuss economic cooperation and the situation in the region.
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