Syrian leader al-Julani meets President Putin in Moscow, calling for the extradition of Bashar al-Assad and pledging a new Syria-Russia partnership built on sovereignty and reform.
In a dramatic twist to Middle Eastern diplomacy, Syrian leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani arrived in Moscow on Wednesday morning for a high-stakes visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, signaling a seismic shift in Syria’s post-war realignment.
According to official statements, the meeting aims to discuss regional and international developments and explore avenues for renewed Syria-Russia cooperation in strategic sectors including food, energy, and security.
But behind the diplomatic smiles lies a bombshell demand. Reports from multiple sources indicate that al-Julani intends to formally request Putin to extradite former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad — along with several ex-regime officials who fled to Russia — so they can face trial in Damascus for what he described as “crimes against the Syrian people” following the coup that brought him to power.
Speaking at the Kremlin, al-Julani emphasized that the “new Syria” seeks to rebuild ties with all regional and global powers—chief among them Russia.
“The relations between our two nations are historic,” al-Julani declared. “Today, in the new Syria, we are renewing our political and strategic partnership with countries of the region and the world — primarily Russia.”
He reaffirmed that Syria remains committed to honoring past bilateral agreements, but intends to redefine them to preserve full sovereignty and territorial integrity, hinting at a more assertive foreign policy independent of past alliances.
Sources close to the Kremlin confirmed that the talks also covered the fate of Russian troops stationed in Syria and Moscow’s energy investments in Aleppo and Latakia — a clear sign that al-Julani is seeking to consolidate power internally while projecting legitimacy abroad.
The visit comes just weeks after reports in the New York Post alleged that Bashar al-Assad had been poisoned in Russia and briefly hospitalized in serious condition, fueling speculation about a behind-the-scenes power struggle among Syrian factions and their Russian patrons.
Analysts in Jerusalem and Washington are closely watching al-Julani’s maneuvers, viewing them as part of a wider geopolitical realignment that could reshape power balances from the Levant to the Mediterranean.
One Israeli security source noted:
“If Moscow begins cooperating with the new Syrian regime, it marks the formal end of Assad’s shadow — and a new chapter in Russia’s Middle East strategy.”
The world may now be witnessing the final unraveling of the Assad era, as Syria’s new rulers seek legitimacy not through brutality, but through diplomacy — with Russia at the crossroads of history once again.
