Russian lawmaker proposes relocating Assad family to Mariupol to aid Donbas recovery
In an interview with Russian outlet Gazeta.ru, Dmitry Kuznetsov, a member of Russia's State Duma and the International Affairs Committee, has proposed that Bashar al-Assad, the ousted Syrian president who fled to Russia following rebel capture of Syria's capital Damascus, could be relocated to occupied Mariupol
Kuznetsov argued that the former Syrian leader, along with his family, should settle in Mariupol, where they could "take it under their wing." For his "contribution to the restoration of Donbas," Kuznetsov suggested granting Assad Russian citizenship.
"I think that Bashar al-Assad, or rather his family, could sponsor one of the war-torn areas of Donbas and settle in the new housing developments of Mariupol. He could also support Emir Kusturica in filming a Dostoevsky-inspired movie in Donbas. I advocate for him to prove his dedication to the Russian people, and later, considering his contribution to Donbas's recovery, citizenship could be discussed," the Russian lawmaker added.
Previously, on December 10, the tabloid Bild had reported that Assad might reside in luxury apartments at "Moscow City."
On December 14, journalists from the Romanian television channel Digi 24 speculated that the Syrian dictator and his family could be settled in the posh Barvikha suburb near Moscow. According to the Romanian journalists, in return for the sanctuary offered by Vladimir Putin, Bashar al-Assad might be expected to become a "pawn of the Kremlin."