EditZelenskyy’s Syria visit undermines Russia while capitalising on U.S. diplomatic strain
The trilateral format with Turkey’s top diplomat Hakan Fidan underscored Ankara’s central role in Syria’s stabilization and highlighted converging interests
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a historic first visit to Damascus on Sunday, meeting Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and participating in trilateral talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The visit marks a significant step in Kyiv’s expanding diplomatic offensive across the Middle East, where Ukraine is actively marketing its battle-tested military expertise in drone and missile defense while securing new partnerships in security, food, energy, and infrastructure.
This outreach comes at a pivotal moment. Syria’s new leadership, installed after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, is seeking to rebuild the country and reduce its heavy dependence on Russia, which long maintained two major military bases on Syrian soil (Tartus and Khmeimim). Sharaa has publicly indicated plans to repurpose those bases for Syrian army training. Zelenskyy’s presence in Damascus directly challenges Moscow’s lingering influence in its former stronghold.
Security cooperation at the heart of the talks
During the meeting, Ukraine and Syria agreed to deepen security and defence ties. Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine’s four years of hard-won experience countering Russian drone and missile barrages – an expertise now in high demand across the region amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran and its proxies.
“We agreed to work together to provide more security and opportunities for development for our societies,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. He added that the leaders discussed “everything: from security and defence issues and the situation in the region due to all the events around Iran to energy and infrastructure cooperation between our countries.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the visit a “milestone,” with additional talks on maritime trade.
The trilateral format with Turkey’s top diplomat Fidan underscored Ankara’s central role in Syria’s stabilization and highlighted the converging interests of Kyiv, Damascus, and Ankara in limiting external powers’ sway – particularly Russia’s.
A pattern of regional engagement
Zelenskyy’s Damascus stop is the latest leg of an intensive Middle East tour. In recent weeks he has visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, signing long-term military cooperation agreements, and held security talks in Turkey with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The common thread: offering Ukrainian know-how in low-cost drone interception and air defence – solutions proven effective against Russian tactics that contrast sharply with the expensive Western systems (such as Patriot missiles) being depleted in the current Iran-related fighting.
Kyiv is also positioning itself as a reliable food supplier, leveraging Ukraine’s status as a major grain exporter to address regional food security concerns. These moves go beyond immediate wartime needs; they reflect a deliberate strategy to build durable economic and strategic partnerships in a region undergoing rapid realignment.
Eroding Russia’s footprint
For Moscow, the visit represents a clear setback. Russia was Assad’s principal backer for decades and used Syria as a key Mediterranean outpost for its navy and air force. The post-Assad transition has already weakened that position, and Ukraine’s rapid engagement with the new Syrian authorities accelerates the erosion. By offering security cooperation and reconstruction support, Kyiv is helping Damascus diversify away from its former patron – precisely the kind of diplomatic pressure Ukraine has sought to apply wherever Russia once held sway.
Analysts note that Russia’s inability to provide meaningful assistance to its Iranian ally during the current Middle East escalation has further exposed Moscow’s overstretched resources, tied down as they are by the war in Ukraine.
Filling the gap left by U.S. distraction
Ukraine’s activism also appears to benefit from a perceived dip in U.S. credibility and bandwidth in the region. With Washington deeply engaged in the Iran conflict and pursuing its own strategic repositioning under the current administration, traditional American diplomatic dominance has receded in some areas. Kyiv has moved quickly to fill the space, presenting itself as a pragmatic, battle-hardened partner unburdened by the same regional baggage.
Gulf states and others facing Iranian drone and missile threats have shown “strong interest” in Ukrainian methods that deliver results at a fraction of the cost of U.S.-supplied systems. At the same time, Ukraine’s emphasis on food security and infrastructure projects appeals to governments focused on post-conflict reconstruction and economic stability – areas where U.S. attention has been diverted.
This is not coincidental opportunism but part of a coherent policy: Ukraine is transforming its wartime innovations into diplomatic leverage, cultivating new alliances that both sustain its war effort and project influence far beyond Europe.
Strategic implications
Zelenskyy’s Damascus visit signals that Ukraine is no longer confining its foreign policy to the Euro-Atlantic arena. By forging ties with Syria’s new government – alongside key players like Turkey – it is actively reshaping the regional balance, chipping away at Russia’s remaining leverage while capitalizing on the vacuum created by shifting U.S. priorities.
Whether these relationships yield concrete military contracts, reconstruction deals, or sustained food-security partnerships remains to be seen. But the message is unmistakable: in a Middle East roiled by conflict and realignment, Ukraine is positioning itself as an indispensable actor – directly at Russia’s expense and in the space opened by America’s more constrained role.
With Reuters and IBNA, edited by g.g.
Caption: A handout photo made available by Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) during their meeting in Damascus, Syria, 5 April 2026. Zelensky arrived in Syria for his first official visit to meet with top Syrian officials amid the ongoing Russian invasion to Ukraine. EPA/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / HANDOUT
Updated: April 6, 2026 - 10:26
