Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Syrian Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the Kremlin for the first time on Wednesday.

Bashar al-Assad is reportedly living a luxurious exile in Moscow, spending time playing video games and mall hopping under Putin's protection

Assad ruled Syria from 2000 until December 8, 2024, when he fled Damascus shortly before rebel forces seized control of the capital.

Years after dismissing video games as a form of entertainment, former Syrian President Assad is reportedly spending his exile in Moscow playing them.

Lavrov said the Kremlin had granted Assad and his family asylum “purely on humanitarian grounds.” He added that Assad “has no problems” in Moscow and insisted “there were no poisonings.” On Oct. 2, the British tabloid The Sun reported that the 60-year-old Assad had been urgently hospitalized in September following a suspected poisoning attempt.

After Syrian rebels led by current interim president Ahmad al-Shaaraa entered Damascus in December 2024, the Kremlin urgently evacuated Assad and his entourage to Moscow. Since then, the life of the dictator's family has been under strict rules set by the Russian authorities.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad said the continued presence of Russia's major naval and air bases in his country help counter the influence of Western powers in the region as the battle to crush insurgents was winding down.