Members of the United Nations Security Council have held talks to discuss the unfolding situation in Syria following the ousting of President Bashar Assad on Sunday.
"The Council, I think, was more or less united on the need to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of Syria, to ensure the protection of civilians, to ensure that humanitarian aid is coming," said Russian UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia following the emergency meeting requested by Moscow.
"But look, everyone was taken by surprise by the events, everyone, including the members of the council. So we have to wait," to see how the situation will evolve, he said.
Russia has been a strong ally of Assad and has supported the Syrian regime's military operations directly since 2015.
Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood meanwhile called it "a very fluid situation."
"No one expected the Syrian forces to fall like a house of cards," he continued.
Woods noted that "just about everyone spoke about the need for Syria's sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence to be respected, and concern about the humanitarian situation," indicating the council is working on a joint statement.
"The intention is for the council to speak with one voice on the situation in Syria," he said.
China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong said after the council meeting that "the situation needs to be stabilized and there has to be an inclusive political process, and also there should not be a resurgence of terrorist forces."
Syria's UN ambassador Koussay Aldahhak told reporters that his diplomatic mission and all Syrian embassies abroad had been instructed to continue doing their job and maintain the state institution during the period of transition.
"Now we are waiting for the new government, but meanwhile we are continuing with the current one and the leadership," he said, adding that Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh — who was appointed by Assad — was still in Damascus.
"We are with the Syrian people. We will keep defending and working for the Syrian people. So we will continue our work until further notice," Aldahhak told reporters outside the council.
Washington considering ways to engage with Syrian rebels
The US said it was looking at ways of engaging with the Syrian rebel groups that managed to force President Bashar Assad from power.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Washington had a number of ways of communicating with various groups, one of which Washington has designated a terrorist organization.
"We have been engaging in those conversations over the past few days. Secretary himself has been engaged in conversations with countries that have influence inside Syria, and we'll continue to do that," Miller said.
Governments are reviewing how best to deal with Syria's leading rebel faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — a group formerly allied with al-Qaeda — considering its designation as a terrorist organization by the US and the UN.
"There is no specific review related to what happened" over the weekend, Miller told reporters. "That said, we are always reviewing. Based on their actions there could be a change in our sanctions posture, but we have nothing today."
Miller said a review could be initiated if HTS took steps to reverse the reasons for its designation and that would be based entirely on their actions.
Events in Syria up until now
Sunday saw Syrian President Bashar Assad ousted after a nearly 14-year civil war following a lightning offensive launched by Islamist-led rebels, who managed to sweep into Damascus.
Assad was forced to flee to Russia, as per Russian media reports, where he has been granted asylum in Moscow, bringing an end to more than 50 years of his family's iron fist rule.
Tens of thousands of prisoners have been freed from Syria’s notorious prisons over the past week.
Videos shared on social media showed jubilant scenes as released prisoners celebrated on the streets of the capital, Damascus, and other cities including Aleppo, Homs and Hama.
Western governments including Germany and the UK have said they will be closely monitoring Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — the Islamist militant group that led the rebel coalition that toppled Assad.
HTS is designated as a terrorist group by the US and the United Nations, although it has spent years trying to soften its image to reassure international governments and minority groups within Syria.
The European Union has called for an "orderly, peaceful and inclusive transition" in Syria after Assad fled, but said it had not yet sought contact with the Islamist rebels that ousted him in a lightning offensive lasting less than a fortnight.
Meanwhile, thousands of Syrian refugees have gathered at the Turkish border, hoping to return home.
Austria, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and other European countries said on Monday they would suspend their appraisals of Syrian asylum applications, adding it was obviously not possible to gauge security and stability in the country at present.
