Putin certainly realizes that some 30 Russian combat jets won’t be able to change the course of the war, and allow Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces to win.
Another key task for Putin is bring Moscow and Washington together in a security dialogue, which he hopes would make Russia appear as an equal and eventually lead to improved ties with the West that were wrecked by the Ukraine crisis.
A notable Syrian army battle victory or at least a modest sign of progress in negotiations on settling the conflict could provide a good excuse.
Since June, Russia has played with the idea of …read more
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
