- February 3, 2026
- 3:24 pm
- Middle East
The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 was a sharp but incomplete break with the past for Syria. Power changed hands, the dictator fled, but the state did not “reboot.” The country entered a complex transitional period, where not only internal conflicts and the struggle for control play a key role, but also external actors.
Among them is Ukraine. Not as a symbol or humanitarian background, but as a real factor in the Syrian turning point.
A Moment Noticed by Everyone
When opposition forces led by Ahmed al-Sharaa approached Damascus, it was not only Assad’s flight that was decisive, but also the absence of Russian intervention. The aviation, which had saved the regime for years, did not take to the air at the critical moment.
The reason was obvious. Russia was focused on the war against Ukraine. Resources, equipment, aviation — everything was directed elsewhere. This was seen and understood in Syria.
But there was a second, less public element. According to Syrian activists and human rights defenders, the opposition during this period received support from Ukraine. Details were not disclosed, but the fact itself is not disputed within Syria and is not perceived as a sensation.
Why Ukraine Became “One of Us”
For a significant part of Syrian society, Ukraine is not a foreign country or an abstract conflict. Since 2014, the anti-Assad environment has consistently expressed solidarity with Ukrainians, seeing Russia as a common adversary.
Russian aviation destroyed Syrian cities. Russian military helped suppress protests. Russian bases became a symbol of lack of freedom. In this sense, Russia’s war against Ukraine was perceived in Syria as a continuation of the same logic, only on a different front.
After the fall of the regime, this connection ceased to be only emotional and became political.
The New Power and Ukrainian Balance
The transitional administration in Damascus found itself in an extremely vulnerable position. On one hand — a destroyed economy, weak institutions, and a fragmented country. On the other — the urgent need to seek external support.
In this configuration, Ukraine became an important, albeit quiet partner. According to Syrian interlocutors, humanitarian aid from Ukraine after Assad’s fall was significantly greater than what Syria received from Russia during the same period.
This creates a clear limitation for the new power. A full return to a close alliance with Moscow would mean not only losing the trust of the West but also a serious blow to relations with Kyiv — and thus to internal legitimacy.
It is no coincidence that NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency notes: the Ukrainian factor has become part of the Syrian transition, although it is almost not articulated officially.
Russia: Not an Ally, but Not the Past
Moscow did not disappear after Assad’s fall. Military bases, economic levers, old cadres, and connections still exist. But the nature of the relationship has changed.
If previously it was a strategic alliance “for decades,” now it is short, strictly limited deals. Banknotes, grain, temporary presence. Without ideology and without trust.
The new Syrian power understands: Russia remains dangerous precisely because it is weakened and acts aggressively. And here the experience of Ukraine serves as a clear warning for Damascus, not a theoretical example.
Turning to the West — and Kyiv’s Role
Syria has effectively integrated into the security system led by the United States, participates in coalition formats, and receives training for security forces. This gives it external support but does not solve all problems.
In this scheme, Ukraine acts as a link between the Syrian experience of war and the Western logic of resisting Russia. Not as a formal guarantor, but as an example that weakening Moscow in one direction automatically changes the balance in another.
A Transition Without an End
Today, Syria is a country without a firmly established patron. Russia is too weakened to dictate terms. The West demands reforms and restraint of violence. Society is tired but still ready to wait.
In this picture, Ukraine is not a secondary plot. It is part of a new reality in which the Syrian transition occurs not in a vacuum, but against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war with the outside world.
The Syrian experience shows: the departure of a dictator is only the beginning. The real struggle begins later — to ensure that the country does not return to the orbit of the force that once led it to catastrophe.
