Russia mum on Assad extradition after Putin-al Sharaa talks in Moscow

Russia has declined to comment on whether the issue of extraditing Bashar al Assad was raised during talks between President Vladimir Putin and his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al Sharaa, a day earlier in Moscow.

“We have nothing to report on Assad here; we have nothing to report in this context,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a briefing on Thursday, in response to a question on whether the issue of his extradition to Syria was discussed between the two presidents.

Al Sharaa told Putin that Syria is willing to restore “historic and strategic” relations with Russia and that it will respect all past agreements between Moscow and Damascus.

Al Sharaa's state visit was his first to the country that has hosted Assad since his ouster in December 2024.

Putin said ties between Moscow and Damascus have always been “exclusively friendly”, adding that Syria's parliamentary election last month was a “great success” and will lead to the “consolidation of society”.

Peskov also denied that any discussions took place on a return visit by Putin to Syria but said such invitations could be extended through diplomatic channels.

He added that the fate of Russia’s military bases, a naval base in Tartus and an air base at Hmeimim, both of which are located on Syria's Mediterranean coast, was on the agenda of the talks but gave no further details.

A Syrian government official had said before the Moscow meeting that al Sharaa planned to request the handover of Assad, who fled to Russia after his ouster, while both Moscow and Damascus said the two leaders would discuss the fate of Russia's military bases in the country.

A day after his ouster, the Kremlin declared Assad and his family were given asylum in Russia.