Mikhail Ulyanov, the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to international organizations in Vienna, stated that Russia has not abandoned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad even during challenging times. As reported by the Russian TASS news agency, Ulyanov emphasized that “Russia does not betray friends in difficult circumstances,” highlighting a key distinction between the Russian Federation and the United States.
According to earlier reports from TASS, Assad and his family sought refuge in Russia on humanitarian grounds amid escalating violence from armed opposition groups. On November 27, these groups launched huge attacks on government forces in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Idlib.
By December 7, Assad’s adversaries managed to seize control of multiple major cities, including Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, Hama, and Homs. Following these developments, they entered Damascus on the morning of December 8, prompting Syrian army units to withdraw from the capital. Eventually, Assad stepped down from power and left the country after engaging in internal negotiations.