Assad meets Putin in Moscow.

Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived in Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the further development of Russian-Syrian cooperation in various spheres, as well as the prospects for a comprehensive settlement of the situation in and around Syria. Russia has been a main backer of Assad and has played a pivotal role in fighting back armed opposition groups trying to topple his government through its military support. The two leaders are set to meet on the anniversary of the 12-year uprising-turned-civil war that has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population.