Putin could have cooled on Assad, however Moscow is sending a message that it’s not abandoning its allies – Moscow gives medical care to Asma al-Assad, who suffers from leukemia
Bashar al-Assad, the person who dominated Syria for greater than 20 years, is now in Moscow, removed from the homeland he fled after jihadist rebels took over Damascus.
His escape was carried out in excessive secrecy, with Russia, particularly by Vladimir Putin's choice, granting him political asylum. The airplane carrying him took off with the transmitter turned off, and never even Assad's brother had been knowledgeable of his departure.
Russia, which had been instrumental in holding him in energy by means of army intervention in 2015, now provided a protected haven, guaranteeing he wouldn’t fall into insurgent fingers. Assad reportedly needed to be persuaded by Russian officers to go away Syria, suggesting a robust sense of isolation and insecurity throughout his closing years as president.
The selection of Moscow as a vacation spot was not unintended. Russia has a protracted historical past of relations with the Assad household. Their ties date again to the Seventies, when his father, Hafez al-Assad, introduced Syria into the Soviet Union's sphere of affect. Within the years that adopted, this relationship strengthened, notably after Vladimir Putin's intervention within the Syrian civil battle.
Assad's kids had been despatched on vacation to Crimea, whereas his eldest son, Hafez, attended a Russian college. Nevertheless, regardless of the sturdy ties between the 2 states, Assad's private relationship with Putin has remained chilly and fraught with suspicion in recent times. Putin has usually expressed his displeasure at Assad's refusal to reform or cooperate with the opposition, highlighting deeper tensions of their relationship.
Putin's choice to supply refuge to Assad, regardless of their private variations, seems to be primarily based on strategic causes. The Russian chief, himself underneath a global arrest warrant, sees defending Assad as an indication of loyalty to his allies and a sign to the worldwide neighborhood that Russia just isn’t abandoning its companions. As well as, Moscow gives medical take care of Assad's spouse, Asma, who suffers from leukemia.
Because the Guardian studies, regardless of the luxurious life he had in Syria, Assad and his household are anticipated to dwell extra remoted in Moscow. Not like the movies that confirmed his mansions stuffed with luxurious automobiles and belongings, his life in Russia will likely be slightly shadowy, underneath the shut watch of the Russian authorities. He’s believed to be residing in a distant mansion whereas gaining access to a few of his estimated $2 billion fortune stashed away in offshore accounts.
Nonetheless, Russia seems to be avoiding publicizing him, with state media but to publish any images of him within the nation.
Assad's future in Moscow is unsure. Whereas offering momentary safety, Putin's regime additionally faces challenges that will have an effect on Assad's long-term safety. He appears to have accepted his isolation, with no chance of a political return.
His instance is paying homage to different exiled leaders, akin to Ukraine's Viktor Yanukovych, who has been residing in seclusion in Moscow since his 2014 overthrow.
