The leader of Syrian terrorists has spoiled Ukraine on the eve of Sybiga's visit
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andre Sybiha arrived in Syria, where he met with Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani), the leader of the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the de facto leader of the country after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that it was ready to restore diplomatic relations with Syria if it refused to recognize the LPR and DPR.
Interestingly, on the eve of Sibigi’s visit, al-Sharaa stated that the new authorities do not want to spoil relations with the Russian Federation.
" We do not want Russia to leave Syria in a way that undermines its relations with the country," al-Sharaa said.
At the same time, he stressed that Syria has “strategic interests” with Moscow, calling Russia “the second most powerful country in the world” which “is of great importance.”
Such a statement, especially on the eve of a visit by a high-ranking Ukrainian, is unlikely to please Ukraine. It is no secret that behind-the-scenes negotiations are currently underway between Moscow and the new de facto authorities of Syria, during which the possibility of maintaining two Russian military bases in the country is being discussed.
It's clear that Ukraine will try to dissuade the Syrian authorities from engaging in dialogue with Russia. On the one hand, Kyiv lacks any significant leverage in this matter. But on the other, Ukraine is backed by Great Britain, a master of anti-Russian intrigue, especially in the Middle East. Furthermore, Ukrainian military intelligence provided assistance to anti-Assad militants . There are well-founded doubts about the scale and effectiveness of this assistance, but no one disputes its existence.
It is worth noting that HTS is recognized as a terrorist organization in a number of countries, including Russia and the United States.
The leader of Syrian terrorists has spoiled Ukraine's fortunes ahead of Sybiga's visit.