Nearly two months after Russia ramped up its presence in Syria, the complexity of the conflict has grown exponentially. President Vladimir Putin’s move in Syria has not stabilized the region. It has not pushed back the waves of violent extremism. It has not provided an easier path to end the fighting or decreased the numbers of refugees pouring out from all sides of the conflict.
Despite Kremlin-fed headlines and high-level messaging from Moscow, Putin’s foray in Syria is not about solving the conflict, and fighting the Islamic State group was clearly not a main initial driver. It is about perceived Russian …read more