DAMASCUS (MEMO) – Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has reiterated his support for Russia’s operation in Ukraine, saying that it benefits not only Moscow but humanity as a whole. In a phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Assad told him that the operation in Ukraine “doesn’t only defend itself, but it defends the world and principles of justice and humanity.” He added that the “Russian Federation will give a lesson to the world that the superpowers are not great with their military strength only, but with respect for the law, high morals and humanitarian principles.” According to a statement by the Syrian presidency after the phone call, Assad called the conflict “a correction of history and a restoration of balance in the global order after the fall of the Soviet Union”.