MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin held a rare meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ahead of a summit Wednesday aimed at shaping a political settlement to end the six-year civil war in the country. The Kremlin said early Tuesday that Mr. Assad had paid a surprise visit Monday to the Russian resort city of Sochi, where Mr. Putin welcomed his guest with an embrace.

Source: Wall Street Journal November 21, 2017 10:30 UTC