One effect of, if not a rationale for, Putin’s Syria intervention is to distract from Ukraine. The Paris summit on Friday was overshadowed by images of Russian fighter jets over Syria. Indeed, Russia appears satisfied with its accomplishments in Ukraine and supports the current ceasefire, no doubt in part because the Kremlin hopes it will encourage the Europeans to lift sanctions on beleaguered Russian businesses. On Friday, it looked like Putin’s strategy might be working, as European leaders signaled they might review sanctions this year.Indeed, the Paris summit appears to have gone even better for Putin than many have realized. …read more
Source: The American Interest
