At a press conference on December 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump and former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The Russian president reiterated that he is ready to talk or meet with US President-elect Donald Trump. "I am ready for dialogue at any time. I will also be ready for a meeting if he wants it," Putin said.
President Vladimir Putin said that if the meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump takes place, the two leaders will have a lot to discuss.
"If one day a meeting with President-elect Trump takes place, I am sure we will have something to talk about," Putin said.
Mr Putin also said he had not yet met former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after the former Syrian leader was granted asylum in Russia, but he planned to meet Mr Assad.
Also providing information about Russia's operations in Syria, Mr. Putin noted that Russia essentially has no forces on the ground in Syria. Russia's military presence in Syria is limited to one air base and one naval base.
The Russian leader also revealed that Moscow helped Iran evacuate 4,000 soldiers from Syria to Tehran during the recent crisis in Syria.
According to RT, Mr. Putin dismissed speculation that the recent opposition forces’ overthrow of Mr. Assad’s government was a “failure” for Russia. He noted that Russia sent troops to Syria in 2015 to prevent the country from turning into a “terrorist land.”
“We have accomplished our mission. Even the anti-Assad factions have changed internally,” Putin said, pointing out that Western countries are strengthening ties with opposition forces in Syria.
