State Department says US not surprised by Assad’s Moscow visit

The United States took note of a meeting on Wednesday between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin but was not surprised by the visit, Assad’s first foreign trip since start of the Syrian civil war, the State Department said.

“It’s not surprising that Bashar al-Assad would travel to Moscow, given the relationship that Syria has with Russia, and given the recent military activities by Russia in Syria on behalf of Bashar al-Assad,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told a briefing.

source: Reuters