Russia's President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, the first direct communication between the two since Sharaa's forces overthrew Moscow's ally Bashar al-Assad in December.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday spoke to Syria's new leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, the first such top-level contact since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Kremlin said the “constructive and business-like” conversation touched upon “acute issues of practical cooperation in trade and economic,