REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueNews that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered a Russian air wing home from Syria indicates weakness to some observers. Low oil prices forced Putin to abandon the foreign venture.
Geopolitical expert George Friedman disagrees.
Speaking in a Mauldin Economics video, Friedman says the Russian deployment was part of an elaborate US–Russia negotiation. The real issue is further north.
Syria-Ukraine Connection
According to Friedman, the US is in a quandary. It needs a stable Syrian government to contain ISIS, but can’t overtly support the brutal Bashar Assad regime.
Meanwhile, Russia desperately wants Ukraine neutralized and outside NATO or other Western security guarantees. …read more
Source: Business Insider
