Sharaa, travelled to Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, in the first face-to-face contact the pair have had.

President Ahmed al-Shara is making his first trip to Moscow, which backed the regime his rebels overthrew. Both sides have reasons to put the past aside.

In late 2015, the Kremlin achieved a key victory when it launched a military intervention in Syria to rescue then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and enshrine its role as a leading player in the Middle East.

We will use all legal means possible to demand that Bashar al-Assad be brought to justice,’ Ahmad al-Sharaa tells CBS News - Anadolu Ajansı

The meeting in Moscow between President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and President Ahmed al-Shara of Syria showcased the adaptability of two leaders once at odds.

US long-range Tomahawk missiles successfully struck Russian air defence targets during operations in Syria in 2017-2018, according to Andrii Kovalenko, Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.

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.