Russia has confirmed it has delivered Syrian ousted President Bashar al-Assad to Russian soil very “safely” amid a lightning strike by rebel forces to take over the country.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview NBC News He said of Assad’s escape that “he is safe, and it shows that Russia acts as necessary in such an extraordinary situation.” Sergei became the first Russian official to confirm Assad’s presence in the country.
The Kremlin said on Monday that President Vladimir Putin had finalized plans to grant asylum to Assad in Russia.
Assad’s ouster from Syria could come as a shock to the Russian Federation as, up until the start of the civil war 13 years ago, Russia had tried to maintain Assad’s rule in the country by intervening in hostilities and Western nations had been demanding that Assad step down.
“I don’t know what is happening with him now, and it would be very wrong for me to tell in detail what happened and how it was resolved,” quoted Sergei. NBC News.