The Russian government distanced itself from ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad on Monday.
Al-Assad, who ruled Syria for more than two decades, fled to Russia as rebels advanced on the capital Damascus earlier in December.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told state news agency TASS that the swift overthrow was due in part to al-Assad’s inability to address the country’s social problems.
“We can already say that one of the reasons for the deterioration of the situation was the inability of the former government to meet the basic needs of the population amid the protracted civil conflict,” Lavrov told TASS.
Lavrov added that following successes in the fight against international terrorism, which also involved the Russian air force, Syrians had expected that their lives would improve.
That had not happened due to sanctions on Syria by the US and its allies, Lavrov added.
Russia was a key supporter of al-Assad and has military bases in Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he does not see the ousting of al-Assad as a defeat for his country’s military, which has been stationed there since 2015.