By intervening in Syria, President Vladimir Putin has broken Russia’s relative isolation and is making it the “indispensable nation” in conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and with Islamic State while the United States balks at deeper involvement. But in this geopolitical poker game, it’s not clear he will be able to quit while he’s winning, especially when events can take unexpected turns such as the shooting down of a Russian jet by Turkey’s air force on Tuesday. Russia’s air strikes, cruise missiles and trainers on the ground have tilted the balance of forces in Syria back toward President Bashar al-Assad’s army, …read more
Source: Egypt Independent
