With the fall of Bashar Assad's regime, the courageous Syrian people can turn the black page of the Assad clan's rule and more than half a century of repression, corruption, elimination of any elements of democracy and pluralism, total lawlessness, tyranny of the security forces, and other violations of human rights.

For decades the Assad’s regime has neglected the interests of its own people in order to maintain power, turning Syria into a pariah state that relied on protection and support of other dictatorships. Its fall is yet another example of how Putin always betrays those who rely on him. This is how it has always been and will always be for all dictators who bet on Russia’s support.

Events in Syria demonstrate the weakness of the Putin’s regime, which is unable to fight on two fronts and abandons its closest allies in order to continue theaggression against Ukraine.

The collapse of the Assad’s regime will also significantly weaken the expansionism of Russia, which for years has used the Syrian territory, its resources and people as a foothold to spread its destructive influence in the Middle East, to destabilize regional stability and security, and to create hotbeds of threat for Syria's neighbouring states.

We are convinced that the right to determine the course of further development and restoration of the country should belong exclusively to the Syrians themselves, who deserve to live in a free, democratic and legal state. As emphasized by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha, the main goal now is to restore security in Syria and effectively protect its people from violence. All efforts must be made to stabilize the region and ensure inclusive political dialogue in Syria for the sake of effectively functioning state institutions.

It is important that the Syrian people, who have suffered terribly, maintain the unity and integrity of their state.

We urge the future Syrian authorities to reconsider the relationship with Putin`sregime, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Syrian citizens, in particular innocent women and children. 

We are confident that the termination of Russia's presence in Syria is critical to the country's long-term security. Wherever Russian military or mercenaries are present, they bring only death, destruction, instability, and lawlessness.

We remind that it is Moscow that prompted the Assad’s regime to illegally recognise Russia's attempt to annex Crimea, as well as the temporary occupation of parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, forcing Ukraine to break diplomatic relations with Assad’s criminal regime in 2022.

We hope that in the future Syria will become a state that respects international law, in particular the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, which will pave the way to restoring of bilateral relations and full-fledged political dialogue between Kyiv and Damascus.