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Ukraine and Syria pledged larger security cooperation in talks in Damascus on Sunday as Kyiv pushes to deepen security ties throughout the Middle East amid Moscow’s ongoing full-scale invasion and the Iran conflict.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s go to to Syria and the assembly with interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa marked Zelenskyy’s first journey to the nation since Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad was ousted in 2024.
The go to follows Zelenskyy’s journey to Turkey on Saturday and a Gulf tour final week towards the backdrop of the Iran conflict as he sought to clinch security offers and change Ukrainian drone experience for air defence missiles.
Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine supported Syria after the autumn of the al-Assad regime and is prepared to proceed working with Damascus on stability and growth. He mentioned Kyiv and Damascus would work extra intently collectively in order that the 2 nations and folks “can become stronger,” and their “economies can grow”.
“We discussed in detail how to overcome the consequences of the war, as well as the negotiation process regarding Russia’s war against our state and our people,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
“I am grateful to all Syrians who welcomed us today. Ukraine was among the first to support a new Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. We are ready to continue supporting stability and development.”
Syria’s al-Sharaa mentioned the 2 leaders centered on “ways to strengthen economic cooperation and exchange expertise.”
“The visit underscores Syria’s commitment to expanding its international partnerships in support of development and enhanced stability.”
Syria’s new partnerships
Unlike the Gulf states, which Zelenskyy visited final week, Syria just isn’t recognized to have any fashionable anti-ballistic air defence techniques that may be of curiosity to Kyiv.
As effectively as the opposite nations in the area, additionally it is not able to coping with Iranian drones or missiles.
However, Syria has one thing that different nations don’t have — lively Russian military bases.
The Kremlin was a key ally of al-Sharaa’s predecessor al‑Assad, now exiled in Moscow.
Since he got here to energy simply over a yr in the past, al-Sharaa has been attempting to construct new diplomatic ties after greater than a decade of conflict and world isolation.
He additionally appears to have been sustaining a sure steadiness with Moscow as of now.
In January, he met President Vladimir Putin and thus far has not requested Russia to withdraw from its military bases on Syrian soil.
Russian military bases in Syria stay
Moscow saved two bases in Syria: Khmeimim and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast.
Both are of essential significance to Russia, as they supply Moscow with simpler entry to the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean sea.
Established by the Soviet Union in the Seventies, the port at Tartus was then expanded and modernised by Russia in 2012. Since 2013, Tartus has housed what the Russian Navy calls its “permanent task force in the Mediterranean Sea”.
Moscow used it to conduct naval workout routines, station warships and even host nuclear submarines.
When Turkey closed the Bosphorus to international warships in March 2022 shortly after Russia went on its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Tartus base performed a essential function in sustaining Moscow’s naval presence in the Mediterranean.
The airbase at Khmeimim has been operational since 2015 and was used to launch air strikes throughout Syria in assist of al-Assad. It serves as a significant logistical hub for Russian operations in Africa.
Russian military plane making their manner south have regularly used Khmeimim to refuel.
Last yr al-Sharaa requested al-Assad’s extradition so he might face a trial again residence in change for sustaining the Russian military presence in the nation. Moscow rejected the request.
Commenting on this final yr, al-Sharaa admitted that Syria nonetheless wanted Russia’s assist.
“All weapons in Syria are Russian,” he mentioned in April 2025, explaining that at that second Damascus didn’t have presents and options to substitute Syrian weapons however was “negotiating new agreements,” particularly with Turkey.
