MOSCOW, July 25. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not discuss Ukraine with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad, as the two focused on the situation in and around Syria in their talks, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"No, the topic of Ukraine did not come up. Naturally, the topic of political settlement and the state of affairs in the region around Syria was the main topic of the meeting," he said.

"In general, there was a fairly broad exchange of views on all topics that are related to the state of affairs in the region, around Syria, of course. Many of the topics you mentioned were also touched upon in one way or another, that's all I can say," Peskov added when asked whether the topic of Moscow's possible assistance to Damascus in ensuring security in the face of threats from Israel came up.

The day before, Assad made a working visit to Russia, during which he met with Putin. Before that, the Russian and Syrian leaders met in the Kremlin on March 15, 2023, with their talks lasting three hours. Putin and Assad spoke over the phone on March 23 of this year. Then the Syrian president strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall near Moscow, emphasizing that his fellow citizens share the pain and sorrow of the Russian people.