Syria’s Assad Meets With Putin as Russia Draws Closer to ‘Resistance Axis’

Latest Developments

Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow on July 24 to discuss recent events in the Middle East and beyond. Russian state media circulated a video on July 25 showing their encounter. Assad reportedly told Putin that their discussion was “very important” in light of “all the events that are taking place in the world as a whole and in the Eurasian region today.” Putin also asked Assad for his “opinion on how the situation in the region as a whole is developing.” The Kremlin did not provide further details on the meeting’s agenda. However, reports speculate that the two leaders discussed the possibility of Syria-Turkey rapprochement, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on July 4 that he is willing to pursue.

Expert Analysis

“This meeting provides an apt reminder that mass murderers have a shared interest in impunity. The Biden administration has been consistent in its condemnations of Putin yet continues to block bipartisan congressional efforts to hold Assad accountable for his crimes. If the White House means what it says about Putin, it should welcome efforts to turn up the heat on Assad.” — David Adesnik, FDD Senior Fellow and Director of Research

“Russia and Iran have teamed up to undermine the West, and Syria is their junior partner. As Russia and Syria mark the 80th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, Moscow has used this week to fight alongside Syria against Western and, more specifically, American ‘hegemony, neocolonial practices and a unipolar dictatorship.’ This is typical of Putin’s propaganda in favor of a multipolar world. While some in the West may laugh about it, perception matters. This messaging is aimed at the Global South so as to undermine Western influence.” — Ivana Stradner, FDD Research Fellow

Russia’s Role in Syria

With support from Russia — and Iran — Assad has remained in power despite more than a decade of civil war in his country. In recent years, allies of Damascus have pushed to rehabilitate Assad despite his regime’s ongoing atrocities and involvement in the international narcotics trade. In 2022 and 2023, Moscow hosted several meetings attended by high-level Syrian, Turkish, and Iranian officials in an effort to restore ties between Ankara and Damascus, which were cut off in 2011 at the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. In May 2023, the Arab League readmitted Syria after suspending Damascus in 2011.

Russia-Iran Axis

Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Tehran has provided thousands of drones to Moscow while seeking advanced military equipment in return. Russia and Iran are also sharing intelligence and harassing American forces in Syria as part of a joint effort to drive the United States out of the region. On April 17, The Washington Post revealed that Russia’s Foreign Ministry had drawn up secret documents envisioning greater coordination with Iran, China, and North Korea to reshape the U.S.-led world order. Days later, Russian media reported on April 26 that Moscow is ready to expand military-technical cooperation with Iran.

Moscow and Tehran are also deepening economic ties to evade Western sanctions. Putin hailed Russia-Iran cooperation in the energy, business, agricultural, and knowledge-based sectors during a December 7 meeting with the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

On July 25, Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev reaffirmed Moscow’s partnership with Tehran in a meeting with Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, the deputy chairman of Iran’s Guardian Council. Kosachev told Arafi that relations between Russia and Iran are continuing to grow “without pauses or interruptions” in the wake of Iran’s July 5 presidential elections, emphasizing that Moscow is “open for a mutually respectful discussion of any issues.”

Related Analysis

“Turkey Open to Hosting Syrian Leader for Normalization Talks,” FDD Flash Brief

“Iran Says It Finalized Deal to Buy Russian Aircraft,” FDD Flash Brief

“The Despotic Duo,” by Behnam Ben Taleblu