Germany denies knowledge of Assad visit to Moscow

A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry Martin Schaefer yesterday denied that Berlin knew about Syrian regime President Bashar Al-Assad’s visit to Russia and his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Schaefer described Al-Assad’s visit as “something new” and denied that the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was aware of the visit. “I do not think that any member of the government had knowledge of the visit,” he said.

He stressed that “supporting Assad explicitly contradicts international law and the UN Security Council resolution,” adding “those who intervened militarily and politically should be aware of how to move well.”

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian president, said Putin met with Al-Assad in Moscow on Tuesday.