Syrian FM details last-minute talks with Russia hours before Assad’s fall

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on Monday revealed new details about the final hours before Bashar al-Assad’s regime fell last year, including urgent discussions with Russian officials to brief them on rapidly unfolding events.

Speaking in Al Jazeera Channel’s documentary “Keys of Damascus,” Shaibani said opposition representatives held direct negotiations with Moscow amid battles to secure the transition period and define Syria’s future.

“Communication with Moscow never stopped,” he said, adding the goal was to neutralise what he called the “major variable” that could have altered battlefield dynamics.

“The Russian actor was present with us in the operations room, and even before the operations room,” Shaibani explained. “We decided to speak to the Russians in the middle of the fight.”

The minister said the talks were crucial to protecting Syria’s future interests. “What shape will the partnership take in Syria’s future? Even one day or 48 hours before the fall of the regime, this must be preserved.”

Pivotal discussions took place on Dec. 6 at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Türkiye, while fighting was ongoing. “From the setting and location of the meeting, you could read the battlefield,” he said.

Shaibani concluded by highlighting the sensitivity of the moment: “We met with the Russians hours before Assad’s regime fell and briefed them on developments in the country.”

Russia had been a key ally of Assad and continues to maintain two major military bases in Syria.

Earlier Monday, mosques across Syria held “victory chants” marking the first anniversary of Assad’s fall, following calls by the Ministry of Religious Endowments. Cities including Damascus, Daraa, Hama, Aleppo, Idlib, and Latakia also held military parades with widespread public participation.

For days, Syrians have commemorated their liberation through observances of the “Deterrence of Aggression” battle, which began on Nov. 27, 2024, in Aleppo and culminated in Damascus 11 days later. Many view Assad’s overthrow on Dec. 8, 2024, as the end of a 14-year era of brutal repression and widespread civilian suffering.

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