Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to meet with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Moscow following the surrender of the Syrian army to rebel forces.

According to a report by the Qatari Al Arabiya channel in Moscow, Putin sent Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to meet with Assad in his place.

The Kremlin spokesperson clarified that there is also no planned meeting between Putin and Assad. Russian sources told Al Arabiya that Lavrov conveyed a message from Putin to Assad stating that Russia would not intervene in the internal crisis in Syria: “You must solve your problems by yourself.”

The Kremlin spokesperson refused to disclose Assad’s location in Russia but admitted that President Putin personally ordered the granting of political asylum to Assad.

There were earlier rumors that President Assad’s plane crashed somewhere in Syria shortly after takeoff, but official sources in Russia denied the report, claiming that Assad arrived in Russia.

The Kremlin spokesperson also commented on President Trump’s election to a second term in the White House and acknowledged that Putin has yet to speak with the elected president.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)