The UN Security Council (UNSC) will hold an emergency meeting in New York on Monday afternoon to discuss the situation in Syria, as announced by Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, in a Telegram post. Russia requested an urgent closed consultation with the UNSC after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia. 

President Bashar al-Assad fled the country following the takeover of Damascus by rebels on Sunday. Local media TASS reported that Russia has granted Assad and his family members asylum based on humanitarian grounds following their arrival in Moscow. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also told reporters that the decision to grant asylum to Assad and his family was made by President Vladimir Putin. “It is certain that such decisions cannot be made without the head of state. It was his decision,” Peskov said.

Furthermore, Moscow advocated for a resumption of negotiations to resolve the situation in Syria “under the auspices of the UN.” Meanwhile, leaders of the armed Syrian opposition have pledged to ensure “the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic institutions in Syria.”

The EU’s High Representative issued a statement on behalf of the EU, describing the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime as a historic moment for the Syrian people. The EU reaffirmed its solidarity with Syrians both within and abroad, recognizing their aspirations for a brighter future while acknowledging the uncertainties ahead. The statement also urged Syrians to seize this pivotal moment to reunify, stabilize, and rebuild their nation, emphasizing the importance of restoring justice and holding those responsible for past atrocities accountable.

In the past 24 hours, Israel and the US have conducted numerous airstrikes inside Syria. The US targeted ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps in an effort to prevent the group from “taking advantage of the current situation to reconstitute in central Syria.” Meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly struck “strategic weapons systems,” further intensifying the already volatile situation.

The UN meeting comes a day after Israeli forces seized a buffer zone in the eastern Golan Heights, a territory contested by both Israel and Syria. The zone was established under a May 1974 agreement signed after the Yom Kippur War the previous autumn.