Kremlin plays down blow to Russia from Assad's fall

By Dmitry Antonov

The Kremlin on Wednesday played down the damage to Russian influence in the Middle East from the fall of Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad, saying that its focus was on Ukraine and that Moscow was in contact with Syria's new rulers.

When Russia intervened in the Syrian Civil War in 2015, it helped tip the balance in Assad's favour and his fall from power has dealt a serious setback to both Russia, which is fighting a major land war in Ukraine, and to Iran, which is battling U.S.-backed Israel across the Middle East.

"You know, of course, that we are in contact with those who are currently in control of the situation in Syria," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Asked how much the fall of Assad had weakened Russia's influence in the Middle East, Peskov said that Moscow maintained contacts with all countries in the region and would continue to do so.

Moscow's priority, Peskov said, was the war in Ukraine, which President Vladimir Putin calls a "special military operation".

"The special military operation is the absolute priority for our country: we must ensure the interests of our security, the interests of our Russian people, and we shall do so," Peskov said.

Moscow has supported Syria since the early days of the Cold War, recognising its independence in 1944 as Damascus sought to throw off French colonial rule. The West saw Syria as a Soviet satellite.

The Kremlin said its focus now was to ensure the security of its military bases in Syria and of its diplomatic missions.

Russia, the Kremlin said, had helped Assad during the civil war but the situation had then deteriorated.

"Russia helped the Syrian Arab Republic at one time to cope with the terrorists and to stabilise the situation after this situation threatened the entire region, and spent a lot of effort for this," Peskov said.

"Russia fulfilled its mission, and then the Assad leadership worked in their country, engaged in the development of their country. But unfortunately, the development has led to the situation that is now. And now we need to proceed from the realities that exist on the ground."

Asked about Israeli air strikes on Syria, Peskov said that attacks on the Golan Heights area were unlikely to contribute to the stabilisation of the situation.