Description: Ukraine’s president Volodymir Zelenskyy arrived in Damascus on an unscheduled trip to Syria, where he met Syrian president Ahmed Al Sharaa as they discussed bolstering strategic ties between the two countries. The visit follows Zelenskyy’s tour in the Gulf where he offered Ukraine’s drone expertise for countering the Iranian Shahed drones in exchange for Patriot missiles. Zelenskyy also previously visited Turkey while Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, accompanied Zelenskyy on his trip to Damascus. The Ukrainian president stated that Syria and Ukraine would deepen defense and economic ties while repairing their diplomatic relations which were cut in 2022 after Bashar Al Assad sided with Russia on the invasion of Ukraine.
Impact: Zelenskyy’s unscheduled visit arrives on the back of Turkish diplomatic lobbying efforts which have substantially increased in raising Syria’s public profile since president Al Sharaa came to power. Deep ties between Syria and Ukraine are not likely considering that Syria hosts two Russian bases on the Mediterranean and is heavily reliant on Russian weapons. Turkey effectively raises its own diplomatic capital and regional power brokerage by arranging the meeting, while also enlarging Syria’s exposure on the international stage. Zelenskyy’s visit is likely the result of Turkey’s guarantees to continue its mediating efforts in regard to the war with Russia, since Turkey has managed to maintain fairly balanced relations with both Russia and Ukraine.