The President of Russia Vladimir Putin, apparently, is tired of the country’s participation in the civil war in Syria, which is increasingly delayed. Noticed that the American edition of Newsweek.
As the newspaper notes, Syria remains the main ally of Moscow in the middle East, however, the country’s incumbent President Bashar al-Assad increasingly has the patience of the Kremlin. Assad’s forces are unable to completely take control of the territory occupied by the rebels and jihadists in Idlib, despite the support of the Russian military aviation. In addition, the background of the pandemic coronavirus in the region has been the militants of the terrorist organization “Islamic state” (IG, is prohibited in Russia), which began to strengthen its position West of the Euphrates river. Thus the conflict comes to a standstill.
About the growing disillusionment with Moscow in the Syrian campaign is confirmed by statements of Russian diplomats, writes Newsweek. So, in April, the Vice-President of the Russian international Affairs Council, former Russian Ambassador to Syria Alexander Aksenenok said that the situation in Syria is described as a humanitarian catastrophe, while the official Damascus refuses to show any flexibility and foresight, hoping for military support from its allies for further financial assistance.
While a political settlement is becoming more difficult because of the increasing number of stakeholders and their priorities. So, Turkey, Russia buying expensive weapons, continues to support opposing Assad rebels. Iran, in turn, sees Syria as an ally and a bridge to transport weapons to the Lebanese Shiite group “Hezbollah”, however, the new sanctions from the United States can force Iran to reduce its presence in the country.
At the same time, in Russia itself the support of the country’s participation in the Syrian war on the part of the population continues to decline, the newspaper notes. Against the backdrop of the economic crisis associated with the spread of the coronavirus, the interest of Russians in the conflict is likely to be even less. In the circumstances, says Newsweek Russia, probably, still will be a need to establish cooperation with Western countries in the Syrian direction.
Earlier in may it was reported that the representatives of the Syrian opposition notice signs of imminent resignation of Assad. According to them, Russia is already beginning to realize that participation in the conflict in Syria, despite a series of military successes brought him no political benefit. If Moscow continues to support Assad in these circumstances, it risks finally get bogged down in Syria, as in his time happened with the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
