From Assad to al-Sharaa - Putin's 'desperate attempt' to retain foothold in the Middle East

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in what experts described as the Kremlin's bid to cling to its foothold in the Middle East amid mounting setbacks and waning influence. The meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, involved talks on the future of Russia's military facilities — the naval base in Tartus and the Khmeimim air base. The talks came at a time of visible setbacks for Russia's presence in the Middle East. Moscow had planned