President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia welcomed President Ahmed al-Shara of Syria for talks at the Kremlin on Wednesday, a remarkable scene in a country that is harboring the new Syrian leader’s toppled predecessor and enemy, Bashar al-Assad.

The meeting demonstrated a clear desire by both the Russian and Syrian leaders to open a new chapter in relations between Moscow and Damascus. During Syria’s 13-year civil war, Mr. Putin backed Mr. al-Assad but ultimately failed to prop him up when Mr. al-Shara’s rebel forces stormed Damascus in December.

For Mr. al-Shara, a former Qaeda operative who for years led his rebel forces under brutal Russian airstrikes in Syria, the meeting marked a clear victory. Despite having backed Mr. al-Assad in the war, Mr. Putin welcomed Mr. al-Shara in a gilded Kremlin hall, a calculated gesture as Moscow looks to retain its longstanding military bases in Syria.

For Mr. Putin, the summit demonstrated his agility as a geopolitical tactician and his willingness to shift messaging drastically to suit Russia’s interests. In opening remarks, Mr. Putin underscored decades of friendly relations between Moscow and Damascus, dating back to 1944.

“During this time, relations between Syria and Russia have always been exclusively friendly,” Mr. Putin said. “We in Russia have never had any relations with Syria that were tied to our political circumstances or special interests. Throughout these decades, we have always been guided by one thing: the interests of the Syrian people.”

Mr. al-Shara thanked the Russian leader for welcoming him to Moscow and expressed an openness to reboot relations between their nations.