Kyiv: Ukraine open to restoring ties with Syria after Assad's fall
Ukraine is open to the possibility of restoring relations with Syria after the fall of the authoritarian regime of Bashar al-Assad, reaffirming its support for the Syrian populace, said Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, following developments in Syria where rebels have seized control of Damascus, leading Assad to announce a peaceful transfer of power before fleeing the country.
According to Minister Sybiha, the current priority is to stabilize the region, protect the populace from violence, and facilitate dialogue to enable the functioning of state institutions in Syria. Addressing the collapse of Assad's regime, Ukraine's chief diplomat highlighted that similar fates await all dictators who align with Putin. According to Sybiha, Putin always betrays those who rely on him.
Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Syria due to Assad's regime endorsing the Russian occupation of Ukrainian territories. This diplomatic rift occurred in June 2022 after Assad's government recognized the "independence" of the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk People’s republics. Additionally, in 2023, during a meeting with Putin in the Kremlin, Assad publicly supported Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Damascus fell to armed opposition in the early hours of Sunday. The rebels announced on Syrian television the overthrow of Assad's regime. Assad's rule collapsed two weeks after the opposition launched an offensive against government forces.