Ukraine ready to resume relations with Syria – Kyiv

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Andrii Sybiha expressed on December 12, 2024, its readiness to pave the way for the resumption of relations with Syria in the future.

Foreign Ministry of Ukraine

“Assad has fallen. This is how it has always been and will always be for dictators who bet on Vladimir Putin. He always betrays those who rely on him. The main goal now is to restore security in Syria and effectively protect its people from violence. All efforts must be made to stabilise the region and ensure inclusive political dialogue in Syria for the sake of effectively functioning state institutions,” he wrote on X.

Sybiha published a remark on the fall of Assad’s rule, stating that “the events in Syria demonstrate the weakness of the Putin regime, which is unable to fight on two fronts and abandons its closest allies in order to continue the aggression against Ukraine.”

“We urge the next Syrian authorities to reconsider relations with the Putin dictatorship, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Syrian citizens, particularly innocent women and children. We are confident that the completion of Russia’s presence in Syria is critical to the country’s long-term security.”

According to the Foreign Ministry, Moscow prompted the Assad regime to illegally recognise Russia’s attempt to annex Crimea, as well as the temporary occupation of parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, forcing Ukraine to break diplomatic relations with Assad’s criminal regime in 2022.

“We hope that in the future Syria will become a state that respects international law, in particular the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, which will pave the way for the restoration of bilateral relations and a full-fledged political dialogue between Kyiv and Damascus,” the statement said.

By way of background, rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani has arrived in Damascus, as rebel forces say they’ve ended Bashar al-Assad’s rule. 

Outgoing Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated that the events in Syria demonstrate the possibility of defeating Russia in Ukraine.