Syria 9 - PONARS Eurasia

Moshes: Ukraine-related issues make any Syria-related deal between Russia and the West hard to nail down

(Global Post) MUNICH, Germany—When it comes to diplomacy, bickering usually seems like what Russia and the West do best. But the recent Paris attacks and Russian jet crash may actually forge…

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Baev: Syria reconstitutes Russia-Iran partnership, but doesn’t signify a compatibility of security interests

(WSJ) DUBAI—By entering the Syrian war, Russia has joined hands with Iran in trying to rescue President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. But is this a durable alliance—or just a temporary convergence of interests…

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Putin’s Desperation Deepens as His Blunders Accumulate

(EDM) Russian foreign policy took an unexpected turn and suffered a serious setback last week when President Vladimir Putin suggested sending to Washington a delegation headed by Prime Minister Dmitry…

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Two Experts Apply IR Theory and Historical Analogies to U.S. Policy on Russia’s Use of Force

Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan—Georgia, Ukraine, Syria? Şener Aktürk (Istanbul): “Russian Military Uses Syria as Proving Ground, and West Takes Notice,” wrote The New York Times. Who would have thought that after pronounced…

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Putin’s Potemkin Intervention: The Weakness of Moscow’s Syrian Adventure

(Foreign Affairs) (Co-author: Daniel H. Nexon) When it comes to foreign policy, U.S. President Obama’s critics have long accused him of being weak, indecisive, and naive. “Restoring resolve” to the…

The “Islamic State” as a Security Problem for Russia: The Nature and Scale of the Threat

(PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo) From the late 2000s, international attention to links between the North Caucasus and the global jihadist movement gradually waned. It has recently resurfaced, however, primarily due…

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Baev: Russia’s options in Syria include firing missiles from bombers and Mediterranean submarines

(CNN) Two weeks after they started, Russian airstrikes in Syria are ratcheting up — and are being closely coordinated with regime ground forces as they try to seize rebel-held territory. According to many observers of…

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Gorenburg: The goal remains to consolidate government control of key areas in the western part and around Damascus

(BBC) Just over two weeks on from its first air strikes in Syria, the tempo of Russia's air campaign has significantly stepped up and its focus has shifted. Russian air…

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Baev: Russia conflates the Islamic State with other Islamist factions and opposition groups

(Wall Street Journal) Russian warplanes continued airstrikes overnight in Syria, as officials Thursday dismissed Western assertions that Moscow wasn’t targeting Islamic State in Syria but was aiming at other opponents…

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Putin’s Syrian intrigue has yielded zero dividends

(European Leadership Network) Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war appeared to gain momentum every day over the past month, up until President Vladimir Putin’s address to the UN General…

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PONARS Eurasia Podcast

Syria

Moshes: Ukraine-related issues make any Syria-related deal between Russia and the West hard to nail down

Baev: Syria reconstitutes Russia-Iran partnership, but doesn’t signify a compatibility of security interests

Putin’s Desperation Deepens as His Blunders Accumulate

Two Experts Apply IR Theory and Historical Analogies to U.S. Policy on Russia’s Use of Force

Putin’s Potemkin Intervention: The Weakness of Moscow’s Syrian Adventure

The “Islamic State” as a Security Problem for Russia: The Nature and Scale of the Threat

Baev: Russia’s options in Syria include firing missiles from bombers and Mediterranean submarines

Gorenburg: The goal remains to consolidate government control of key areas in the western part and around Damascus

Baev: Russia conflates the Islamic State with other Islamist factions and opposition groups

Putin’s Syrian intrigue has yielded zero dividends