Russian President Vladimir Putin’s surprise announcement this week of a withdrawal of some forces from Syria has put an end to the narrative that Russia was bound to be trapped in a Mideast quagmire. Whether in Ukraine or in Syria, it has become clear that Russia’s actions are as much about its role in the world order as about those countries. Writing from Beirut, former MI6 agent Alastair Crooke puts it this way: “The common thread running through both conflicts (Ukraine and Syria) has been the Russian leadership’s overriding concern to deflect any Western or NATO dynamic towards confrontation …read more
Source: The Huffington Post
