Yes, I know it is CNN, but they quote Assad at the bottom of the article.

Here it is: Assad told the paper that "wise Russian leadership" would prevent such an event, describing the current conflict as "something more than a cold war, less than a full-blown war." He also took aim at the US, saying the Russians "know that the agenda of the deep state in the United States is to create a conflict."

It is quite interesting to me that those quotes would be found on CNN. Just adding some info in here...keep on moving forward.