President Assad is in Russia.

It would be very wrong for me to elaborate on what happened and how it was resolved.

But he's secured, and it shows that Russia acts as required in such an extraordinary situation.

The now former Syrian leader presiding over the deaths of hundreds of thousands of his own people, using chemical weapons, dropping crude barrel bombs on population centers and running a prison dubbed the Human Slaughterhouse.

If the Syrian people called for him to be put on trial, if the International Criminal Court called for him to be put on trial, would you send him for trial?

Russia is not party to the convention that established the International Criminal Court.

Russia, Turkey, Iran and the United States have forces in Syria.

Russia's strategic assets include a crucial Navy port on the Mediterranean.

Syria's official opposition has told NBC News all foreign armies should leave within two years.

But the rebels who have stormed the country include former al-Qaida-affiliated fighters, a country that was once an ISIS stronghold.

The Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has warned that ISIS, the Islamic State group, will try to use this period to re-establish its capabilities in Syria.

Is that something that Russia is concerned about?

Yes, very much so.

This is a rare and seldom situation where I can say that we equally have concerns like the U.S. government does.

There have been reports in Russia that President Putin is preparing another potential prisoner swap, timed around President-elect Trump's inauguration.

A Russian-American ballerina from California was interviewed in her jail cell over the weekend, where she is serving 12 years for sending just over $50 to a Ukrainian charity.

Ksenia Karolina told Russian TV, I don't even know who they might swap me for, but I really want to believe.

Sergei Ryabkov indicating they do have people in mind.

There are more personalities that the Russian government looks for, for a potential swap.

We will definitely be prepared to consider this.

If I heard you right, you're saying there are others in U.S. jails and allies and partners of the United States who you would want to see swapped for prisoners in Russia?

Yes, I just said that we would definitely consider an additional swapping scheme or even schemes if the U.S. is ready to have, you know, a constructive and forward-looking view on our priorities there.

That would be a healthy, a healthy step forward, especially at the beginning of the next administration.

And Keir Simmons joins us now.

Keir, fascinating reporting.

In terms of Russia's war in Ukraine, that is obviously still very much ongoing.

Did the foreign deputy minister say anything to you about the possibility or prospects of a ceasefire or negotiations here?

Well, everybody knows, Alison, that we are just moments away, if you like, from President Trump with a mandate to try to bring peace to the war between Ukraine and Russia.

We actually heard the Russian equivalent, well, heard, read, the Russian equivalent of the CIA director write in an internal magazine for Russian intelligence.

We've been able to see it.

And that article says that Russia is close to achieving its goals in the war.

But are they, though?

Because President Putin has suggested, Alison, that they don't just want Donbas, part of which they have already, but they want other pieces of territory, Saporizhia, for example, Now, are they going to go into negotiations, assuming they happen, and bang the table and say, well, what we didn't get on the battlefield, we want now, in exchange for agreeing to end the war?

I asked Ryabkov, Deputy Minister Ryabkov, about that, and he said, we want to find a way to ensure those territories who became ours over a recent period are still integral parts of Russia.

That suggests that what Russia wants is to just hold on to the land it already has.

One other point, the question of security.

Russia is very clear it would not accept Ukraine becoming a part of NATO.

But will it accept security guarantees for what is left of Ukraine?

I asked Ryabkov about that.

He seemed to indicate that it would be down to negotiation.

So, what will happen in the talks?

That is the question.

Is Russia holding out maximalist goals in order for that to be a starting point in talks, or could those expectations just blow those talks out of the water, if you like?

George Simmons, thank you.

Thank you.