On Thursday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flew to Russian leader Vladimir Putin's summer residence on the Black Sea for talks regarding the Syrian conflict, a visit that seems to underscore Moscow's support of Assad. According to a report by Reuters, Assad has rarely traveled since fighting broke out in his country in 2011, however he has made three publicly-acknowledged visits to Russia in order to meet with Putin. Assad was reportedly making his second visit to see Putin in Sochi.