... it from jihadists. It will eventually result in the ceasefire collapsing as there are always going to be groups trying to exploit this situation in their favor. As of now, there are only two organizations that everyone agrees to view as terrorists in Syria: the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Greater Syria (ISIS)
and Jabhat Fateh ash-Sham (former Jabhat an-Nusra).
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Maxim Suchkov:
A Subtle Approach: Lavrov
and Kerry’s Agreement
Besides, given recent rebranding of Jabhat an-Nusra which ...
... the region. The only exception to this has been Turkey, which in November 2015 shot down a Russian warplane near the Turkish-Syrian border—an act that impaired Russian-Turkish relations until Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized to ... ... retains flexibility in the region, maintaining a margin for maneuvering in both its alliances and conflicts, except for the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, against which its commitment is complete.
Russia’s close relations with Iran have had a bearing ...
To a casual observer, it may seem surprising. Russian speakers form one of the largest groups among Islamic State’s (ISIS) foreign fighters. For over 10 months, Russia has been actively involved in the conflict in Syria. The Russian North Caucasus remains a region of perennial instability. A Kiev-based Crimean Tartar group has vowed to take direct action against what it calls the Russian occupation of the peninsula. Yet, so far, Russia seems to have been spared ...
... largely fell in line with their ideology.
The blasts in Turkey on June 28 and Saudi Arabia on July 4 were different in that the Islamic State was targeting Sunnis, the very sect the group appeals to in its videos and statements.
Reuters
Map of Iraq and Syria showing the areas
controlled by Islamic State
Muslims around the world condemned these attacks and even some Sunni extremist groups rushed to speak against the atrocities perpetrated by the Islamic State which speaks volumes about the lengths it is ready to go for the sake of advancing ...
... Corporation of New York and the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).
1
. Our deliberations have also been informed by reports prepared by the four think tanks supporting the work of the Task Force, available at www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org.
2
. Acronym for Islamic State in Iraq and Al-Sham, also referred to as IS or Daesh.
3
. Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, OHCHR, 11 February 2016, http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/ CoISyria/A-HRC-31-68.pdf, accessed 26 April 2016.
4
. Avoiding War in Europe: how to reduce the risk of a military encounter between Russia and NATO, Task ...
... 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 ...
... Palmyra may once again follow the May 2015 scenario.
As soon as the victory sentiments calm down in Damascus, Moscow and Tehran, the allies will have to decide how they will move further into IS-controlled territory. The primary task is to split the Islamic State into two parts along the Euphrates valley, the Iraqi part and the Syrian part. This will not be possible without coordination with the U.S.-led international coalition, which is pursuing an anti-IS campaign in Iraq. Moscow’s long-time idea of an antiterrorist coalition seems to strike a chord in Washington, which ...
... a political solution to the Syrian crisis based on the June 2012 Geneva communique and agreements reached in 2015 by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) in Vienna.
However, the Kremlin does not believe that a successful campaign against the Islamic State (IS) — or any other terrorist group in Syria — or a cease-fire are possible without closing the Syrian-Turkish border. A river of foreign jihadis, arms and merchandise is flowing into Syria, with contraband oil traveling in the opposite direction.
As Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ...
Question: Who has provoked the Ukrainian crisis? Was Moscow aware of the geopolitical, economic and reputational price it would have to pay for Crimea’s reunification with Russia? Do you think it was too high in the context of Russian-Ukrainian relations? Is there a lasting solution to the Ukrainian crisis?
Sergey Lavrov:
The Ukrainian crisis was not incidental, but rather the result of systemic problems that have been accumulating in European affairs and international relations over the past...
... 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 ...
