... diplomatic channels the Kremlin also attempted to convince the Syrian National Coalition to send a representative to talks, but to no avail.
But even after the bombing campaign had begun Russian officials claimed that they were in touch with a number of Free Syrian Army factions. In December Vladimir Putin went as far as to say that Russian airstrikes sometimes provide air cover to certain FSA groups during joint operations against the Islamic State. The fact that Moscow never stopped reaching out to opposition groups that may or may not be loyal to the Assad government allowed it to set up contact with dozens of factions and convince them to join the ceasefire deal once the truce finally ...
The Syrian army finally regained control over Palmyra, one of the key strategic cities in ... ... Palmyra.
This historic area is somewhat isolated, being located far away from the major Islamic State-controlled territories along the Euphrates. With many sources of IS funding... ... suburbs to send extra forces to east Homs and launch a military operation in Palmyra.
Russia’s role in this offensive was crucial. Until spring 2016, only a few Russian...
... on Russia by the West could have resulted in the next ‘cold war’. However, In spite of the political crisis and rising tensions between Russia and Euro-Atlantic region, the terroristic attacks in Paris on November are forcing the West and Russia to become allies in the fight against Islamic state of Iraq and Syria. Was it the opportunity for Putin to reconstruct geopolitical balance? The answer is definitely yes. However, Andrew Weiss (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) stated that: “Cooperation against terrorism between USA and Russia was ...
... ideological differences and unite in the struggle against radical Islam, head of the Committee on International Affairs at the Russian Federation Council upper house of parliament Konstantin Kosachev said on Tuesday
The Islamic military coalition created ... ... defence minister, told a news conference that the campaign would "coordinate" efforts to fight terrorism in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt and Afghanistan, but declined to elaborate. "There will be international coordination with major powers ...
... viable than it could have been expected within a paradigm of a modernity.
EPA/YOUSSEF BADAWI
Boris Dolgov, Omar Mahmood:
The Syrian Conflict: Russian and GCC
Perspectives
Domestic developments in the region were either caused or accompanied by much more militant policies ... ... marked by a deep split in the Sunni camp. The reason of it was a cross-border activities of an extremist organization - the Islamic State. ISIS has positioned itself as a champion of a global project - the caliphate. Its activists denounce and condemn ...
... throwing up many more nuances in relations between the allies Washington and Riyadh.
Well aware of the Washington's foreign policy rules, Riyadh decided to increase its U.S. lobbying USD 3.66 billion.
EPA/YOUSSEF BADAWI
Boris Dolgov, Omar Mahmood:
The Syrian Conflict: Russian and GCC
Perspectives
The U.S. allies largely share the same needs, i.e. security guarantees plus more aggressive political and military support for their regional interests and initiatives. However, the U.S. seems to have lost some of its leverage ...
... struggle against IS, have achieved noteworthy results thus far – commanding posts, training camps, weapons depots with ammunition and fuel, and canon plants have been destroyed, and hundreds of Islamist fighters have been killed. Supported by the Russian Air Force, the Syrian army has launched offensive operations and liberated populated areas near Homs, Hama, Latakia, Deyr az-Zor, Idlib, and Aleppo, from the Islamic State
[4]
.
EPA / ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO
Igor Ivanov:
Putin’s Plan
However, Russian actions to counter the Islamic State are not an end in itself. The Russian leadership and Ministry of Foreign Affairs see the elimination of IS and other ...
According to official statements, Russia deployed its Aerospace Defence Forces to support Bashar al-Assad in order to combat the ISIS terrorist group. Western leaders have subtly hinted that Moscow’s goal is to save al-Assad and protect its interests in Syria. The Ukrainian elite and its supporters in the US and Europe are convinced that Putin has started a war in Syria to distract international attention from his “aggression” in Ukraine
[1]
. In fact, the Russian operation is not only part ...
... European Union and can wield more influence in the EU agenda.
The Luxembourg Embassy and Russian International Affairs Council
gathered several European ambassadors
and experts... ... European Union.
Participants suggested that waging war against a common foe in the form of Islamic State, which is banned in Russia, is unlikely to help Russia and the West overcome... ... document seems ever more significant against the backdrop of Russia’s campaign in Syria, where an international coalition with NATO participation also operates.
Of course...
...
What about the danger of being drawn into wider involvement on the ground if, say, one of Russia's jets malfunctions and a pilot is forced to eject?
Wouldn't more ground troops be needed to rescue a pilot, especially one who falls into the hands of the Islamic State, which has shown its willingness to publicly torture enemy pilots to death?
"On the ground, Russian air group is relying on the support and help of the Syrian armed forces," Buzhinsky says.
As to whether that means the Syrian armed forces are providing force protection for Russians, "I hope so," Buzhinsky says. "I hope so."
Not everyone is so optimistic about Russia's prospects ...
