Kremlin Spokesperson declines to confirm Assad's presence in Moscow
This contradicts previous Russian statements about the ousted Syrian president's location.
Dec. 9, 2024
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - On Monday and during a press conference, the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov surprisingly avoided verifying reports about Bashar al-Assad's presence in Moscow.
This contradicts previous Russian statements about the ousted Syrian president's location.
Addressing recent reports
Peskov's cautious response, "I have nothing to say regarding President Assad," goes against Sunday's reports from Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti, which had quoted a Kremlin source confirming Assad's arrival in Moscow and the granting of asylum to his family.
Presidential meeting status
The Kremlin spokesperson clearly stated that there had been no meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Assad.
He indicated no such meeting appeared on the official presidential schedule, further adding to the uncertainty about the Syrian leader's current whereabouts.
Russian perspective on Syrian developments
Speaking about Syria's current political change, Peskov acknowledged the global surprise at the swift developments, noting that Russia shared in the prevalent surprise at the events that emerged.
This acknowledgment signifies a noteworthy change in Russia's public stance on Syrian affairs.
Future military presence
Looking ahead, Peskov highlighted that discussions regarding the establishment of two new Russian military bases in Syria would be conducted with the country's future authorities.
This suggests Russia's objective to keep its military presence in the region despite the change in leadership in Syria.
