logo
Damascus reaches out to Moscow to renew ties on new grounds

Damascus reaches out to Moscow to renew ties on new grounds

The meeting marks the most important diplomatic contact between Syria and Russia since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani was received Thursday in Moscow by his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. This is their first visit since the Kremlin-supported Assad regime was overthrown, a turning point that significantly reduced Moscow's influence in Syria and left the future of their bilateral relations uncertain. After helping the ousted president and his family escape from rebel forces advancing toward Damascus, Russia now needs to rebuild its relationships with a new government eager to break the image of being a puppet. Context Russia, Syria to bolster ties, review Assad-era agreements "We are here to represent a new Syria," Shaibani declared during the meeting,...
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Kremlin slams Trump's threat to hike tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases
Kremlin slams Trump's threat to hike tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases

LBCI

time9 hours ago

  • LBCI

Kremlin slams Trump's threat to hike tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases

The Kremlin on Tuesday criticised U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to raise tariffs on India if it does not stop buying Russian oil, which the West says helps fund Moscow's military offensive on Ukraine. "Sovereign countries have the right to choose their own trading partners," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, criticising calls to "force countries to sever trading relations" with Russia as "illegitimate." AFP

Hezbollah MP says group will not sign disarmament decision
Hezbollah MP says group will not sign disarmament decision

Nahar Net

time11 hours ago

  • Nahar Net

Hezbollah MP says group will not sign disarmament decision

by Naharnet Newsdesk 05 August 2025, 16:01 As cabinet convened Tuesday to discuss a thorny and controversial plan to disarm Hezbollah under heavy U.S. pressure, Hezbollah and its ally Amal were reportedly trying to postpone the discussion after overnight protests that Hezbollah said were "spontaneous". Supporters of the group had roamed the streets of the capital and its southern suburbs on motorbikes, in a show of defiance reflecting their rejection of Hezbollah's disarmament. Hezbollah MP Ali Al-Moqdad told Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik that Hezbollah will not sign a decision that would end sovereignty and completely erase a large portion of the Lebanese people. "Is this session necessary for Lebanon, or for the Israelis and Americans?" he asked. President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have both vowed to disarm Hezbollah. Hezbollah and ally Amal MPs gave twice their confidence to Salam's government and backed President Aoun in a second round of voting last January. Al-Moqdad said the presidential inaugural speech mentioned the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories in south Lebanon and the halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanon before Hezbollah's disarmament. "Solving domestic crises should be done between the Lebanese without any external pressure," he added. Under a ceasefire deal reached in late November, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters back north of the Litani river and Israel was required to fully withdraw its troops from the country, but has kept them in five locations in south Lebanon that it deems strategic. Whether Hezbollah must first disarm or Israel must first withdraw remains a chicken and egg situation. Israel has kept up regular raids on Lebanon since the truce, mostly saying it is striking Hezbollah targets, and has threatened to keep doing so until the group has been disarmed. Hezbollah has demanded that reconstruction of areas destroyed during the war begin, and that Israel stop its attacks, withdraw from five areas it occupies and release Lebanese prisoners, before discussing the fate of its weapons, which it considers a matter of domestic defense strategy.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store