Assad has left Damascus, says Russia, as Syrian army declares end of his rule

Published

3 months ago

December 8, 2024

admin

The Syrian government has fallen after a lightning offensive by anti-regime forces across the country – ending President Bashar al Assad’s 24-year rule.

Mr Assad has left office and the country after giving orders for there to be a peaceful transfer of power, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Russia was not involved in the talks surrounding his departure, the ministry said, but has been in touch with opposition groups – and urged all sides to refrain from violence.

The leader’s whereabouts now – and those of his wife Asma and their two children – remain unknown.

Footage circulating on social media as the news emerged showed families ransacking presidential palaces in Damascus, with some taking selfies in the grand settings.

Read more: Latest updates from Syria

Tehran, another of Mr Assad’s allies, said it would continue to closely monitor developments in Syria and the region.

The fate of the country lies in the hands of the Syrian people and should be pursued without foreign imposition or destructive intervention, Iran’s foreign ministry said.

Syrian rebels, made up of various opposition groups, said they were working to transition power to a new governing body with full executive powers.

“The great Syrian revolution has moved from the stage of struggle to overthrow the Assad regime to the struggle to build a Syria together that befits the sacrifices of its people,” the coalition said in a statement, describing events as a new birth for “great Syria”.

Later, in a post on the social media platform X, it added it aimed to build strategic partnerships within the region and the world.

Syria’s prime minister, who remains in the country, said he was ready to co-operate and offered a peaceful transition.

“I am here in my home,” Mohammed Ghazi al Jalali said. “I have not left it and do not intend to leave, except in a peaceful manner that ensures the continued functioning of public institutions and state facilities, promoting security and reassurance for our fellow citizens.”

Thousands celebrating in the streets

Thousands of Syrians, in cars and on foot, gathered in a main square in the capital Damascus chanting for freedom.

Saturday’s advances on the capital marked the first time the rebels have reached the outskirts of the city since 2018, when government forces recaptured the area after a years-long siege.

In the key city of Homs – which rebel fighters seized after just a day of fighting – thousands more filled the streets after the army withdrew, dancing and chanting “Assad is gone, Homs is free”, and “Long live Syria and down with Bashar al Assad”.

The rebels have also claimed Deir el Zor in the east, and Suweida, Quneitra and Deraa in the south.

Mr Assad and his forces had faced a battle on three fronts – Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) from the north, the Southern Front, and a Kurdish group in the east.

HTS leader Abu Mohammed al Jolani, who led the insurgency, declared “the future is ours” in a statement read out on Syrian state TV.

He said there was “no room for turning back” and his group was “determined” to continue on the path it started in 2011.

Footage circulating on social media showed families ransacking presidential palaces in Damascus and taking selfies in the grand settings.

Soldiers were reported to have deserted their posts and changed into civilian clothes as the rebels closed in.

Mohammed Amer al Oulabi, 44, was one of the many residents celebrating on the streets.

“From Idlib to Damascus, it only took them (the opposition forces) a few days, thank God. May God bless them, the heroic lions who made us proud,” he said.

Rebels announced a curfew starting from 4pm (1pm UK time) on Sunday until 5am on Monday.

The country’s international airport in Damascus was abandoned and rebels said they had entered the notorious Saydnaya military prison north of the capital and freed inmates.

Iran’s embassy was also stormed by Syrian rebels, Iran’s English-language Press TV reported.

In a sign of perhaps what was to come – protesters on Saturday brought down a statue of the president’s late father in a main square in a suburb a few miles from the centre of the capital.

Mr Assad had relied on his main allies, Russia and Iran, to counter insurgencies during his decades in power.

But with Russia now busy with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Iran’s proxies Hezbollah and Hamas embroiled in a conflict with Israel, Syria’s army was left exposed.

The fall of Mr Assad’s regime marks a turning point for Syria after 13 years of civil conflict.

Towns and cities have been reduced to rubble, hundreds of thousands of people have died, and millions have been forced abroad as refugees.

It’s a new dawn – but there are dark clouds on the horizon

It’s over.

Fifty-four years of brutal Assad dynasty rule has come to an end. The streets of Damascus have erupted in celebration, President Assad has fled the country and the capital has fallen.

What comes next is of great concern. Syria is deeply divided, geographically and socially. This is a moment of huge peril.

Once the euphoria cools there will be deep hatred and anger towards former Assad loyalists after decades of murderous rule. Containing that will be difficult.

Who will govern Syria is unknown. Multiple rebel groups control different parts of the country and, we assume, they will all want their slice of power. That is a recipe for further civil war unless this can be managed in an orderly way.

Syria’s prime minister, Mohammed Ghazi al Jalali, has remained in Damascus and offered a peaceful transition. How he is treated will be a good indicator.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main group that started this rebellion with the capture of Aleppo, was once affiliated with Al Qaeda. It has renounced those links but remain a proscribed terror organisation by the US and others.

Russia and Iran, Assad’s two main state sponsors, abandoned him when his fate seemed inevitable. It’s unlikely they will abandon Syria quite so quickly though. Moscow has key military bases on the Mediterranean coast which opens up a part of the world to them – giving these up would be a huge strategic blow.

To Iran, Syria was a centrepiece in its axis of resistance, the funnel through which weapons were channelled to Hezbollah and vital territory in its arc of influence. But Assad and Hezbollah have now both collapsed, and Iran’s network of Shia influence is in tatters.

It’s a new dawn for Syria, but there are dark clouds on the horizon.

Trump: Syria is ‘not our friend’

The White House said US President Joe Biden and his team were monitoring the “extraordinary events” in touch with regional partners.

Daniel Shapiro, from the US Department of Defense, said they would continue to maintain their presence in eastern Syria “solely to ensure the enduring defeat” of the Islamic State.

President-elect Donald Trump said the US should not get involved in the conflict.

“Syria is a mess,” he posted on his social media site Truth Social, adding the country is “not our friend”.

In a fresh post this morning, he added: “Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer.

“Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the ousting of Mr Assad as a “historic day”.

On a visit to the area near the border with Syria, he said he had ordered Israeli forces to seize areas in the buffer zone, adding: “We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border”.

The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, urged all Syrians to prioritise dialogue, unity, and respect for international humanitarian law and human rights as they seek to rebuild their society.

British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips she “welcomed” news of Assad’s regime falling, adding: “He wasn’t exactly good to the Syrian people.”

Ms Rayner said: “We want to see a political resolution so that we can get that stability for Syrians and make sure that they have their infrastructure so that they have a political government there that is working in the interest of the Syrian people.”

Asked for her message to UK citizens in Syria, Ms Rayner said the foreign secretary was “very clear” that they should leave.

“We’ve had a plan to ensure that people were evacuated ahead of what’s happened over the weekend and we continue to support our UK nationals,” she added.

World

Macron says Ukraine ceasefire ‘must not mean surrender’ – as Trump claims Russia wants ‘to end this war’

Published

9 hours ago

February 25, 2025

admin

Macron says Ukraine ceasefire 'must not mean surrender' - as Trump claims Russia wants 'to end this war'

Emmanuel Macron has said a peace deal with Russia “must not mean a surrender of Ukraine” – as Donald Trump claimed Vladimir Putin’s forces “want to end this war”.

The US and French presidents met amid fragile relations between America and Europe and after Mr Trump launched a verbal attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Meeting in the White House on the third anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the French president said he and Mr Trump “made substantive steps forward during our discussions”.

Mr Macron told reporters that Europe should do more to bolster defence in the continent.

However, he stressed Russia “is the aggressor” in the conflict and added: “President Putin violated the peace.”

Peace must allow Kyiv ‘sovereignty’

The French leader then said: “We want peace, he wants peace. We want peace swiftly, but we don’t want an agreement that is weak.”

“This peace must not mean a surrender of Ukraine or a ceasefire without guarantees,” he added. “It must allow for Ukrainian sovereignty and allow Ukraine to negotiate with other stakeholders regarding the issues that affect it.

“It is also a country in which we need to shoulder our responsibilities so that we ensure security and stability for Ukraine and for the entire region.

“For Europeans, this is an existential issue.”

‘Get this war stopped’

At a news conference following the talks, Mr Macron said he “fully believes” there is a path forward in negotiations.

He also agreed “there is good reason for President Trump to re-engage with President Putin” – a week after the leaders had a 90-minute-long phone call.

Mr Trump added Russia would accept European troops in Ukraine as part of peacekeeping efforts, adding: “I specifically asked him (Putin) that question. He has no problem with it.”

He told reporters: “When I got here, one of the first calls I made was to Putin and it was made with great respect. They want to end this war.”

Mr Trump then explained he wants to “get this war stopped,” whether that’s through a ceasefire or a direct agreement – but when asked if Ukraine should give up territory as part of any deal, he said: “We’ll see.”

The news conference came as Mr Putin said he is ready to discuss Russia cutting its defence budget alongside the US, saying a mutual drop of 50% would be a “good idea”.

The Russian president also touted a possible economic deal with the US, offering talks on a deal for its own rare earth metal supplies and for the sale of aluminium to American firms.

The US president is due to meet Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday, after the prime minister warned Mr Trump that a bad peace deal would be a “disaster for everyone”.

Earlier on Monday, Mr Trump said he hoped Mr Zelenskyy would visit the US to sign a deal on Ukraine’s rare earth minerals soon.

Just last week, in a bitter exchange of words, Mr Trump called Ukraine’s leader a “dictator” and said he “better move fast or he is not going to have a country left” after Mr Zelenskyy had accused him of living in a Russian-made “disinformation space”.

World

US joins Russia, North Korea and Belarus to vote against UN resolution on Ukraine war

Published

12 hours ago

February 25, 2025

admin

US joins Russia, North Korea and Belarus to vote against UN resolution on Ukraine war

The US joined Russia to vote against a UN resolution on the Ukraine war – and abstained from voting on one it drafted after amendments proposed by European countries were added.

The 193-member assembly approved a US-drafted resolution, marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which had originally called for an end to the conflict but did not mention Moscow’s aggression.

It also made no mention of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

However, it was amended after European nations said that it should include references to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the need for a lasting peace in line with the UN Charter.

It was also amended to include references to Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Follow latest: Ukraine war live updates

The amended US-drafted resolution won 93 votes in favour, while 73 states abstained – including the US – and eight – including Russia – voted no.

On the same day, the UN General Assembly approved a European-backed resolution from Ukraine which demanded Russia immediately withdraw from the country.

There were also 93 votes in favour of this resolution, while 65 abstained and 18 voted against it.

The UK, France and Germany were among the countries that voted in favour of the Ukraine-backed resolution, which called for a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine”.

The US, Russia, Belarus and North Korea were among those that opposed it.

The duelling proposals reflect the tensions that have emerged between the US and Ukraine after Donald Trump suddenly opened negotiations with Russia in a bid to quickly resolve the conflict.

It also underscores the strain in the US’ relationship with Europe over the Trump administration’s decision to engage with Moscow.

The outcome marks a setback for the Trump administration in the UN General Assembly, whose resolutions are not legally binding but are seen as a barometer of world opinion.

However, later in the day, the UN Security Council approved the US resolution calling for an end to war in Ukraine – but without mentioning Russia’s aggression. The resolution received 10 votes in favour, while the remaining five members – including France and the UK – abstained.

Dame Barbara Woodward, the UK’s ambassador to the United Nations, said after the UN Security Council approved the motion: “What, how and on what terms this war ends can only be decided by negotiations with Ukraine.

“No peace will be sustainable without Ukraine’s consent.

“We regret that our proposals making these points clear were not taken on board, and as such we could not support this resolution.

“But we share the ambition to find a lasting end to this war, supported by robust security arrangements that ensure Ukraine never again has to face Russia’s attack.”

It came after the results in the General Assembly had showed some diminished support for Ukraine – as more than 140 nations had voted to condemn Russia’s aggression in previous votes.

The United States had tried to pressure the Ukrainians to withdraw their resolution in favour of its proposal, according to a US official and a European diplomat.

US deputy ambassador Dorothy Shea, meanwhile, said multiple previous UN resolutions condemning Russia and demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops “have failed to stop the war,” which “has now dragged on for far too long and at far too terrible a cost to the people in Ukraine and Russia and beyond”.

“What we need is a resolution marking the commitment from all UN member states to bring a durable end to the war,” Ms Shea said.

The world is marking the third anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine as America’s allies try to navigate a new reality as Washington’s stance appears to favour Moscow.

European leaders were dismayed last week when they and Ukraine were left out of preliminary talks on ending the conflict.

Mr Trump has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator,” falsely accused Kyiv of starting the war and warned that he “better move fast or he is not going to have a country left”.

Mr Zelenskyy responded by saying the US president was living in a Russian-made “disinformation space”.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron is at the White House holding talks with Mr Trump to discuss a peace plan for Ukraine.

At the start of the meeting, Mr Trump told reporters Russian President Vladimir Putin will accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of a potential deal to end the war in the country.

Mr Trump and Mr Macron have been meeting after the pair had earlier joined a call between G7 leaders.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who will meet with Mr Trump at the White House on Thursday, appeared virtually and said G7 nations should be ready to “take on more risk”.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in Kyiv, called Russia’s aggression a war on “our way of life”.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Europe’s “first priority” is to strengthen Ukraine’s resistance.

She said this includes speeding up the delivery of weapons and increasing investment, announcing a further €3.5bn (about £3bn) in aid for Ukraine.

World

Friedrich Merz: German chancellor-in-waiting vows to ‘create unity’ in Europe

Published

18 hours ago

February 24, 2025

admin

Friedrich Merz: German chancellor-in-waiting vows to 'create unity' in Europe

Friedrich Merz, who is set to become the new German chancellor, has vowed to “create unity” in Europe as it adjusts to the new Trump administration and Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Mr Merz’s task will be complicated by the need to form a coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats of outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz, who will remain in office for the immediate future.

He has repeatedly pledged not to work with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, despite its second-place finish but which is under observation by the country’s intelligence agency for suspected right-wing extremism.

Mr Merz’s conservative Christian Democrats and their Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union, which won with 28.5% of the votes, and the Social Democrats have a combined 328 seats in the 630-seat parliament.

The 69-year-old, who put toughening Germany’s immigration laws at the forefront of the election campaign, said he hopes to complete a deal by Easter.

Experts believe this could prove to be a challenging timescale as the rivals try to find common ground over key policies.

Co-leader of the Social Democrats, Lars Klingbeil, indicated a deal with Mr Merz is not a formality.

He said: “The ball is in Friedrich Merz’s court. Only the course of any talks will show whether a government can be formed.”

With US President Donald Trump back in the White House and tensions rising over how to resolve the war in Ukraine, Mr Merz wants to unify Europe in the face of challenges from the US and Russia.

“I have no illusions at all about what is happening from America,” he told supporters.

“We are under such massive pressure… my absolute priority now is really to create unity in Europe.”

At a media conference later, he added: “There are three topics we need to talk about. Of course, external and security policy – especially following the statements coming out of Washington.

“It is clear that we as Europeans need to be able to act swiftly. We need to be able to defend ourselves. That is a topic that is a top priority in the next few weeks.”

Mr Merz said he remains “hopeful” of maintaining the transatlantic relationship, but warned if it “is destroyed, it will not only be to the detriment of Europe, it will also be to the detriment of America”.

On the other key issues, he added: “Another important topic is the immigration – that is an area where we have proposals. I suppose the Social Democrats will be prepared to talk to us about this as well.

“The third topic is the economic situation. We have to protect work in the industrial sector in Germany.”

He also earlier used social media to say “Europe stands unwaveringly by Ukraine’s side” and how “we must put Ukraine in a position of strength”.