Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (Andriy Sybiga) gives a joint press conference with the interim Syrian foreign minister in Damascus on December 30, 2024. Ukraine's Foreign Minister on December 30 urged the new Syrian leader to expel Russia from the country during an unannounced visit to Damascus. Moscow was one of former president Bashar al-Assad's key backers, intervening to help to turn the tide of Syria's civil war in his favour in 2015. The ex-president's toppling was seen as a major setback for Russia, which has been waging a full-scale invasion of Ukraine since 2022. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)