Syrian President visits Russia for the first time since power change

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa is set to meet with his Russian counterpart part for talks on October 15, 2025, in a bid to open a new chapter in relations. The two will have a lot to hammer out as Russia continues to provide asylum to its longtime ally former President of Bashar al-Assad, who al-Sharaa wants extradited to Syria to stand trial for crimes committed during the civil war. That could be on the agenda for talks alongside questions over Russia's control of military bases in Syria.