Putin Nudges Assad Towards Talks with Turkey Amid Escalating Regional Tensions

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in the Kremlin to discuss regional and global events and to nudge Assad towards a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Russia has backed Assad in Syria's civil war, and the meeting focused on escalating regional tensions, including Israel's actions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad at the Kremlin, urging the Syrian president towards a potential meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The discussions centered on regional and global events as Assad sought Moscow's assistance in curbing Israeli actions.

At the Kremlin meeting, Assad expressed his desire to understand Putin's perspective on regional developments. Putin acknowledged a concerning trend towards escalation, specifically mentioning Syria. The meeting, which took place on Wednesday, is part of Russia's efforts to facilitate high-level talks between Assad and Erdogan.

A Turkish diplomatic source recently refuted a report suggesting an imminent Erdogan-Assad meeting in Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed a broad exchange of views on regional issues, pointing out Syria's interest in leveraging Russia's influence to manage Israeli strikes. Diplomatic insiders reveal Damascus is also urging Iranian militias to reduce hostilities from the Golan Heights.

(With inputs from agencies.)