Russian President Putin grants asylum to Bashar al-Assad

The above information was given by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at a press conference on December 9, at the same time saying that former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family came to Russia right after Damascus fell into the hands of opposition forces.

Responding to a reporter's question about granting political asylum to Mr. Assad, spokesman Peskov said: "Such decisions cannot be made without the consent of the Russian President."

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Bashar al-Assad in Moscow in May 2018. (Photo: Reuters)

Dmitry Peskov added that the Russian President currently has no plans to meet with Mr. al-Assad. In addition, the Kremlin refused to answer questions about Mr. Assad's whereabouts.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that Mr. Assad and his family were in Moscow and stressed that this event reflected Russia's commitment to its allies in difficult times.

"Russia does not betray its friends in difficult situations," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Mr Assad has agreed to step down after talks with opposition groups and instructed government officials to ensure a "peaceful transfer of power".

“Russia is not involved in these negotiations,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed. The statement also mentioned that Russia is in contact with all Syrian opposition groups.

On December 8, Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) and other opposition forces in Syria took control of Damascus after lightning attacks, marking the end of President Assad's regime after 24 years in power.

Immediately after the fall of the Damascus government, Russian officials contacted representatives of the Syrian armed opposition to ensure the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic missions on Syrian territory.

For nearly 10 years (since 2014), Russia has been a key ally of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russia has supported and joined the Damascus government's army in conducting many attacks on rebel forces.

Tra Khanh (Source: russian.rt.com)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/tong-thong-nga-putin-cap-quyen-ti-nan-cho-ong-bashar-al-assad-ar912507.html