Riyadh sides with Moscow as Syrian rebels lose favour

Moscow

SAUDI Arabia may be the latest country to give up on regime change in Syria and fall in line with Russia's successful campaign to shore up President Bashar al-Assad.

There are signs that the nations, long at odds over Syria, are now cooperating over a settlement that would leave Mr Assad in place for the time being. The Saudis hosted a meeting of Syrian opposition factions last month, pushing for an accord between hardline anti-Assad groups and others less insistent on his immediate departure. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Saudi Arabia Saturday for talks, before an expected visit to Moscow by King Salman next month.

A Saudi shift would mark a fresh blow for Syrian rebels who have seen Mr Assad regain control of much of the country in the past two years, backed by Russian air power. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump's administration ended a military aid programme for the rebels, saying the chief US goal in Syria is defeating Islamic State. Turkey, another key backer of the opposition…