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Moscow achieved its goals in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed during his annual press conference and a call-in program on Dec. 19. following the collapse of dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Commenting on the fall of Assad's regime for the first time, Putin said Russia invaded Syria to prevent the creation of "a terrorist enclave."
"All that is happening in Syria is not a defeat for Russia," he added. Russia has been Assad's key supporter, deploying troops in the country since 2015 to back the dictator in the civil war and losing at least hundreds of soldiers in the process.
Syrian rebels announced on Dec. 8 that they successfully ousted Assad following a lightning offensive across the country, which culminated with the capture of the capital city of Damascus.
Moscow persuaded Assad to flee to Russia with his family after realizing his regime was bound to lose to the opposition's rapid advance, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 11, citing its sources.
The Russian president said at the press conference that he had not met with Assad since he arrived in Moscow.
Putin also claimed that most Syrian factions would welcome the continued presence of Russian military bases in the country but said Moscow must first assess its future relationship with them.
"We maintain relations with all the groups that control the situation there... The vast majority of them tell us that they would be interested in our military bases remaining in Syria," Putin claimed.
"I don’t know. We have to think about this because we must assess our relations with those political forces that are in control and will be in control of the situation in the future."
Putin's statements contrast with multiple reports indicating Russian forces are preparing to withdraw from their bases in the Middle Eastern country.
Chris York
(Updated: )
