Russia is in contact with other countries regarding the recent wave of violence in Syria and wants the war-torn country to remain “united,” the Kremlin said Tuesday.
Days of unrest in Syria’s Alawite heartland have posed the most serious threat to the country’s stability since President Bashar al-Assad’s fall in December.
“We are ready and in contact with other countries on the Syrian issue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that Moscow “wants to see Syria united, prosperous and friendly.”
Assad fled to Russia after being ousted by rebel groups following more than 13 years of civil war. Moscow had been his key military and political backer, helping to turn the tide of the conflict in his favor when it first intervened.
Russia has sought to strengthen ties with the new leaders of Syria, as it hopes to hold on to its military bases in the country.
On Monday, Syria’s new authorities announced the end of an operation against loyalists of Assad. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the operation had killed at least 1,068 civilians, most of them members of the Alawite minority, who were executed by the security forces or allied groups.
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is working to disband armed groups and establish government control over the entire country.
The Syrian presidency also announced on Monday an agreement with the head of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate the institutions of the autonomous Kurdish administration in the northeast into the national government.
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