Kassis' husband, Fabien Baussart, is the founder of the think tank Center of Political and Foreign Affairs which has strong ties to Russia.

[3] [13][14] In 2011, she became the chairwoman of the Coalition of Secular and Democratic Syrians, a Paris-based group formed by the union of Muslim, Christian, Arab and Kurdish parties who called on minorities in Syria to support the fight against Bashar al-Assad's government.

[21] Kassis initiative were viewed as a constructive effort to facilitate dialogue,[5][22][23] others expressed criticism, citing concerns over her perceived close ties with Russia.

[25] The meeting was later mentioned by the House Intelligence Committee as part of their examination of contacts between Donald Trump's associates and individuals linked to Russian interests.

[28] Her advocacy for a political transition involving cooperation with al-Assad's regime and her support for the Russian intervention in the civil war drew criticism from some members of the Syrian opposition.