Kremlin confirms Bashar al-Assad, his family given asylum by Russia

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Kremlin on Monday confirmed that deposed head of the Syrian regime Bashar al-Assad and his family were given asylum by Russia.

“Of course, such decisions cannot be made without the head of state. It is his (Russian President Vladimir Putin) decision,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

Noting that Putin’s official schedule does not include a meeting with Assad, Peskov said there is also “nothing to tell” about his current whereabouts.

Peskov said that Moscow is working to contact those who can ensure the security of Russian military bases in Syria, while the Russian military is also taking “all necessary precautions.”

He further said that it is too early to talk about the status of Russian military bases in Tartus and Khmeimim.

“This is all a subject for discussion with those who will be in power in Syria. Now we see a period of transformation and extreme instability. Therefore, it will take time. And then a serious conversation will be required with those who will be vested with power,” he went on to say.

He argued the Astana format talks on Syria have lost their original purpose, but they are still relevant as a mechanism for exchanging opinions and for political consultations among its participants.

He added that Russia is in dialogue with Türkiye and other countries in the region on the topic of Syria.

Earlier, Russian state news agency Tass, citing a Kremlin source, reported that Assad and his family arrived in Moscow and were granted asylum "guided by humanitarian considerations."

After a period of relative calm, clashes between Assad regime forces and anti-regime groups reignited on Nov. 27 in rural areas west of Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria.

Over 10 days, opposition forces launched a lightning offensive, capturing key cities and then, on Sunday, the capital, Damascus. The rapid advance, supported by defecting military units, led to the collapse of the Assad regime after 13 years of civil war.