Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed Kyiv's position on Russia's military presence in Syria to leaders of the new Syrian administration during a diplomatic visit to Damascus on Dec. 30, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said at an online meeting attended by the Kyiv Independent.
The Ukrainian delegation "informed our colleagues" about their position, and Syrian counterparts hold "a similar view," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on Dec. 30 in response to the Kyiv Independent's query.
Tykhyi did not elaborate further on the specifics of the conversation.
Ukraine has moved quickly to restore ties with Syria after rebels overthrew the Russia-backed regime of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8.
Sybiha's visit marked the first official Ukrainian delegation to Syria in years and is a sign of efforts to rebuild diplomatic ties cut by Ukraine in 2022 after Assad sided with Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
During his visit, Sybiha emphasized that Ukraine is ready to restore diplomatic ties, trade, and educational exchanges with Syria if the country's new leadership respects international law and its territorial integrity.
On Dec. 27, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine had sent 500 tons of wheat flour to Syria as part of its "Grain from Ukraine" initiative.
Daria Shulzhenko
