The Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop Jean-Clement Jeanbart of Aleppo, Syria, has said that Russian military intervention in Syria is "a source of hope" for Christians in the region, that it "serves the Christian cause," has "renewed the confidence among Christians in Syria," and that "Putin is solving a problem."
Aleppo is the largest city is Syria with a population of over 2.1 million.
In April of this year, Jeanbart visited the United States to get the word out about what was happening in Syria. He told an audience in Manhattan "We are in grave danger, we may disappear soon." He said Israel is the focus of U.S. support, but added "there needs to be a different balance...I know the American people have values and like freedom and like justice, so I thought they would listen, would give an ear to the other communities in the region - particularly the Christians, who are forgotten." The Bishop explained that "For him, as for other Syrian Christians, Assad is not the despot that he is considered in Washington. Christians in Syria felt protected by Assad, much as Christians in Iraq were under Saddam Hussein...I'm afraid they don't know him enough. He's not an angel. He will not be canonized tomorrow. But he's not bad. Compared to the other Arab leaders, he may be one of the best"