Syria's Assad to attend Arab summit, ending regional isolation

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad arrives in Jeddah, to attend the Arab League summit the following day, Saudi Arabia, May 18, 2023. Syrian Presidency/Handout via REUTERS

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) -Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in Saudi Arabia on Friday to attend an Arab summit where he will rub shoulders with leaders who shunned him for years, in a major policy shift opposed by the United States and other Western powers.

Assad, long ostracised by Arab states as he turned the tide of Syria's civil war with Russia's help, will now be joined at the summit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who wants to build support for Kyiv's battle against Russian invaders.