Zelensky convenes special meeting to discuss Ukraine's assistance plan for stabilizing post-Assad Syria
Photo: Office of the President
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine will help stabilize the situation in Syria after the fall of the Bashar Assad regime. Ukrainian grain will be supplied to Syrian citizens.
The head of state reported that on Telegram.
Zelensky held a meeting on Syria. He listened to the report of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Agrarian Policy of Ukraine on their visit to Syria. They discussed:
- the results of the talks in Damascus,
- security and economic prospects.
Zelensky held a special meeting. Photo: Office of the President
"Ukraine will help all efforts to stabilize Syria. We will set up the "Grain from Ukraine" program for cooperation with the Syrian administration and all partners who are ready to support," the president noted.
Zelensky added that Ukraine will communicate with European countries and the United States to strengthen support for Syria.
"More stability in the Middle East means more peace and trade for all partners," he stressed.
It should be noted that Ukraine has already sent 500 tons of wheat flour to Syria as part of the humanitarian program "Grain from Ukraine." 33,250 families or 167,000 people will receive it. Each package weighs 15 kilograms. According to Zelensky, it can feed a family of five for a month.
Additionally, Ukraine has also evacuated 31 Ukrainian citizens and three Syrian citizens from Syria, who are relatives of Ukrainians with the legal right to enter the country. Among those evacuated were 15 children.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its readiness to restore relations with Syria. In the summer of 2022, Ukraine announced the severance of diplomatic ties (without the severance of consular relations) with Syria. This happened after Syria recognized the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions occupied by Russia as separate states.
Syria also decided to break off diplomatic relations with Ukraine on the principle of reciprocity.
However, after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime as a result of the rebel offensive in Syria, Ukraine began to talk about the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Syria.
For reference:
In recent events, a group of rebels under the leadership of the Islamist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham initiated an attack on Aleppo, the second-largest city in Syria. The regime of Bashar al-Assad, with the backing of Russian forces, attempted to halt the rebel offensive. However, Assad's military forces eventually declared their retreat from Aleppo. According to media sources, Russia has committed to providing swift aid to the Syrian army.
According to Ukraine's intelligence agency, Russian forces in Syria were suffering significant casualties. As a result of the losses and ensuing chaos within their ranks, the Kremlin made the decision to replace General Sergey Kisiel as the commander of the Russian group operating in the Arab Republic. General Kisiel's history of strategic failures during the large-scale invasion of Ukraine played a role in his dismissal.
Later, Ukrainian intelligence reported that the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime forced Moscow to withdraw warships from the base in Tartus hastily.
The Russian state agencies TASS and RIA Novosti also reported that Assad and his family were in Moscow, and Russia had granted them asylum.
The Syrian opposition announced the creation of a civilian transitional government after the fall of the Assad regime.
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