MOSCOW: Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa met Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks in Moscow on Wednesday, as the Kremlin seeks to secure the future of military bases vital for its operations in the Middle East. Russia was a key ally of Al-Sharaa’s predecessor Bashar Assad during the bloody 14-year Syrian civil war. His toppling at the hands of Al-Sharaa’s rebel forces dealt a major blow to Russia’s influence in the region and threw the status of its prized military bases in Syria into doubt.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, according to Syrian media reports. Private...

The sides plan to discuss the state and prospects of bilateral relations in various areas