By refusing to clarify the scale of its military presence in Syria, Russia keeps the West fearing a considerable build-up to win a stronger bargaining position when world powers sit down to talks on the conflict, Western diplomats in Moscow said.
Those discussions could take place as soon as this month, when Russian President Vladimir Putin comes to the United States for the first time in some eight years, to speak at the annual United Nations General Assembly.
Russia’s central demand now is that its long-time ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, should be included in international efforts to contain the militants who …read more
Source: Daily News & Analysis
