Syria’s interim president visits Putin in Moscow for first meeting since fall of Assad regime

Russia's President Vladimir Putin, right, and Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa speak during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Wednesday. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Reuters

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa , travelled to Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, the first face-to-face contact the pair have had.

The meeting was especially notable considering Putin’s long-standing backing of Al-Sharaa’s predecessor, Bashar al-Assad , whose dictatorial regime was ousted by rebel forces in December.

After the toppling of the Assad dynasty, the former Syrian leader fled to Russia , where he and his family were granted asylum for “humanitarian reasons,” an official source in Russia told CNN at the time.

However, during his meeting w