**Syria’s Assad and Family Granted Asylum in Russia**
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Russia, where they have been granted asylum by Russian authorities. According to a Kremlin source, the decision was made on humanitarian grounds.
Assad’s regime has been under pressure from Syrian rebels who are advancing on the capital Damascus. Rebel leaders claimed on December 8 that Assad had fled the city after it was captured by rebel forces.
**Ukraine Conflict**
In other news, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The meeting comes as Russian forces suffer heavy casualties, with 1,460 casualties reported just over the past day.
Zelensky also met with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, where they discussed their support for the people of Georgia and their fight against Russian influence.
**Assad’s Fall**
The fall of Assad’s regime has been welcomed by many as a positive development. EU diplomat Kaja Kallas described it as “a long-awaited development” that shows the weakness of Assad’s backers, Russia and Iran.
However, Russia cannot provide large-scale military support to Assad while being bogged down in a war of attrition in Ukraine, according to US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
**Ukraine Aid Package**
The US has also announced a new aid package for Ukraine, which will be funded through the remaining $2 billion in funding from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
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