The current situation in Syria compels us to ask for your help in find Austin and safely reuniting our family,” wrote Debra Tice, whose son went missing in Syria in 2012.

Putin has said he will ask the deposed president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, about the U.S. journalist Austin Tice, who went missing in the country 12 years ago. “I promise to ask this question,” he said in response to a question from NBC News’ Keir Simmons.

The fall of the Assad regime in Syria has led to the freeing of tens of thousands of prisoners from the country’s brutal and byzantine prison system. Desperate family members continue to search for many more people who went missing since repression of an anti-government uprising triggered a horrific civil war in 2011.

The Russian leader, who has offered Bashar al-Assad asylum, also sought to reassure citizens tired of Russia’s war on Ukraine during his end-of-year news conference.

At his end-of-year news conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would ask Bashar al-Assad, Syria's deposed president, about Austin Tice, the American journalist missing in Syria for more than 12 years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had not yet met deposed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad since Moscow granted him asylum, but that he has plans to. Putin, speaking at his annual end-of-year news conference on Thursday,

Vladimir Putin has promised to ask Bashar Al-Assad about American journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped in Syria 12 years ago - it comes after a Syrian prisoner claimed he saw Tice alive in 2022

Russia should have launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a year-end news conference Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual end-of-year news conference. Follow live updates as citizens and journalists ask questions in real time.

Debra Tice, mother of missing American journalist Austin Tice who has been detained in Syria for 12 years, joins TODAY to open up about the fight to bring him home and her letter to Russia’s Vladimir Putin asking for help.

During a "Direct Line" Q&A session combined with his annual press conference on Thursday, Putin clarified that he had not yet met with Assad after his arrival in Moscow but plans to speak with him