Russian President Vladimir Putin began talks with Syrian leader Bashar Assad in Moscow on Wednesday as the Kremlin steps up efforts to restore ties between Turkey and Syria.
Putin said he planned to discuss “all important aspects of cooperation” with Assad, who thanked the Russian leader for backing Syrian demands for the pullout of all foreign forces and expressed support for his invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian capital on the same day was also due to host four-way talks involving Turkey, Syria and Iran. The diplomatic activity comes days after top U.S. military officials visited American troops and their Kurdish allies in northeastern Syria, where Washington has kept a presence for almost eight years.
