Kremlin says Putin and Sharaa will discuss future of Russian troops in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa are set to meet in Moscow to discuss the future of Russian troops in Syria, along with economic cooperation and regional developments. The talks come after Sharaa's coalition ousted Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Reuters

January 28, 2026

Kremlin says Putin and Sharaa will discuss future of Russian troops in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, January 22, 2026.

Ramil Sitdikov/Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa will discuss Russia's military presence in Syria when they meet in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they would also talk about economic cooperation and the situation in the Middle East.

Russia was a key ally of former president Bashar al-Assad, whom Sharaa's Islamist coalition ousted in December 2024, at the culmination of a more than decade-long civil war.

-Dmitry Antonov/Reuters