Putin condemns foreign troops in Syria

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the presence of foreign troops in Syria without the approval of its leader Bashar al-Assad, during their unannounced meeting in Moscow, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Putin has been a key ally of the Assad regime throughout the Syrian conflict that erupted in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests. Russia’s military intervention in 2015 at Assad’s request helped turn the tide of the war in his favour and Moscow maintains key military bases in the country.

"The main problem, in my view, is that foreign armed forces remain in certain regions of the country without the approval of the United Nations and without your permission," Putin told Assad during their meeting on Monday, according to a Kremlin statement.

Putin hailed Russia and Syria’s "joint efforts" in the conflict, saying their militaries had returned the vast majority of Syrian territory to government control.