Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa met with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Wednesday, marking his first official visit to Russia since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, Moscow’s long-time ally.

During the meeting, Sharaa expressed his desire to “redefine” the relationship between Syria and Russia. Both parties had indicated prior to the discussions that they would focus on political, economic, and humanitarian matters.

“We aim to rebuild and rethink the essence of our relations to ensure Syria’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security stability,” Sharaa stated during a televised conversation at the Kremlin.

Putin acknowledged the longstanding “friendly relations” between Russia and Syria, expressing his hope that these connections would be further strengthened as Syrian society undergoes significant transformations under the new regime.

However, behind closed doors, Sharaa is likely to urge Putin to hand over Assad for prosecution regarding alleged crimes against the Syrian people. On Tuesday, Reuters reported that the Assad administration conducted a covert operation to relocate tens of thousands of bodies from a revealed mass grave to a concealed location in the desert east of Damascus.

A Syrian government official, speaking to AFP on the condition of anonymity, revealed that Wednesday’s discussions would also cover plans to rearm Syria’s military and the status of Russian military bases in the country.

Sharaa, a former leader of the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda, led rebel forces into Damascus in December 2024 and established a new government after Assad fled the capital. Subsequently, Russia granted asylum to the ousted leader.

Since Assad’s departure, the new Syrian administration has aimed to maintain stable relations with Moscow, despite Russia’s previous backing of the Assad regime. In July, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani became the first high-ranking official from the new government to travel to Russia.

The discussions also revolve around the significance of Russia’s naval facility in Tartus and its air base at Hmeimim—Moscow’s only military installations outside the former Soviet bloc—in shaping the future of bilateral relations.

Reporting contributed by AFP.