Russia: ‘Nothing to report’ on Assad extradition after talks

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

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. 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."

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

Peskov also denied if 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.