Among the numerous questions being asked in the wake of the lightning collapse of the Assad government in Syria, is what was the Kremlin’s thinking. Fyodor Lukyanov, chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy and research director of the Valdai International Discussion Club, wrote an article in RT with a straightforward analysis.
“In 2015, when the Russian armed forces launched a military operation in Syria, it marked a turning point in the post-Soviet era,” Lukyanov wrote. “With limited resources and competing priorities, Russia must rethink its Middle East strategy. If a withdrawal from the key base in Tartus becomes unavoidable, Moscow must ensure that it happens smoothly, leveraging its established ties with all regional players—from Israel and Turkey to the Gulf states and even Syria’s new rulers.”
