Putin, Still Harboring Assad, Welcomes New Syrian Leader to Moscow Again NYT Par :Paul Sonne and Christina Goldbaum 28 janvier 2026 à 17:02 This is the second time that President Vladimir V. Putin has hosted President Ahmed al-Sharaa since the fall of the Russia-backed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. © Ramil Sitdikov/ReutersPresident Vladimir V. Putin of Russia at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow this month.