It's over, the Kremlin announces Moscow will no longer protect Syrians
The Kremlin admits to having been surprised by the speed with which Islamist rebels had overthrown Bashar al- Assad's regime.
At a press conference on Monday December 9, Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov confirmed, without elaborating, that the former Syrian leader had found refuge in Russia, Vladimir Putin having granted him asylum. Today, no one knows whether a meeting between Bashar al-Assad and Putin is planned. As France info reports, the only thing that seems clear is that Russia has already moved on to the post-Assad era. On Sunday, the deputy chairman of the Russian Senate announced that the Syrians would no longer have Moscow's protection, and would have to fight a full-scale civil war on their own.
According to many accounts associated with the Kremlin on social networks, Russia has no need of Syria, which is not a priority. Ukraine remains the number-one issue.
In this unexpected and swift reversal, Russia risks losing its military bases in the Mediterranean.
The 2015 intervention in Syria represented the Kremlin's return to the international stage, a return to the select and restricted circle of powers capable of deploying military force and joining or taking part in a conflict. In just 10 days, this symbol has evaporated. As France info points out, Moscow no longer has the upper hand on the Syrian issue.
(MH with Manon Pierre - Source: France info - Illustration: Unsplash)