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Archives: Russia

US confused over Russia’s real intentions in Syria

By EurActiv.com | - - Russia’s latest military moves in Syria have sharpened divisions within the US administration over whether Russian President Vladimir Putin genuinely backs a UN-led initiative to end the…

Poll: Most Russians Prefer Return of Soviet Union and Socialism

TeleSur | - - A recent poll revealed that most Russians would like to see the return of the Soviet Union and socialism. The majority of Russians polled in a recent study…

The New Interventionists: It isn’t just the Yanquis any more

Mark Leonard | ( Project Syndicate ) | - - In the 1990s, after genocides in Rwanda and the Balkans, Western countries developed a doctrine of so-called humanitarian intervention. “The Responsibility to…

Syria: Russia Targets Daesh in Palmyra despite Drawdown

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Despite the Russian announcement of a determination to withdraw the bulk of its air force from Syria, Moscow has underlined that some planes…

Putin: Russia can ramp back up in Syria “within hours”

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The pan-Arab daily al-Hayat (Life) summarized Russian sources on Thursday's speech by Russian president Vladimir Putin: Putin made several points: 1. Russia hopes…

Putin’s Syria Gambit: Surprising Views of Russian Pundits on What Moscow Achieved

By Robert Coalson | ( RFE/RL ) | - - As Russian warplanes continued their partial withdrawal from Syria two days after President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly announced that Moscow's objectives in the…

Why is Putin Really withdrawing from Syria?

By Alexander Titov | (The Conversation) | - - Back in September 30 2015, when Vladimir Putin unexpectedly announced the deployment of the Russian air force in Syria, the consensus was that…

Mystery: Russia & Hizbullah begin withdrawal from Syria

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - al-Hayat [Life], the London pan-Arab daily, reports on the announcement Monday by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would begin withdrawing the greater…

Syrian Ceasefire: A Signal that Russia is winning the War?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Whether or not the cessation of hostilities in Syria holds, it is a major turning point in the revolution and civil war that…

The Saudi-Russian Oil Price Freeze is about Power, not Money

By Nafis Alam | (The Conversation) | - - Saudi Arabia and Russia, the world’s two most powerful oil producers, have reached a tentative agreement to freeze oil production at its current…

France: Turkish-Russian ‘War’ Possible over Syria

TeleSur | - - The French president said Russia and Turkey could engage in war over Turkish involvement in Syria as Russia called for an urgent U.N. Security Council. There is risk…

Syria: 500 Turkey-backed Sunni Arab Fighters Cross to defend Azaz from Kurds

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - This morning, according to the Syria Observatory and the Arabic press some 500 Sunni Arab rebels based in Turkey crossed back into Syria…

Are Outside Interventions in Syria undermining Int’l Law & our own Security?

By Ingvild Bode | (The Conversation) | - - Since 2012, the war in Syria has lurched from one escalation to another. Syrians have been subjected to large-scale military force not only…

Syria: Instead of a Cease-Fire, have Great Powers unleashed new Proxy Wars?

By Baher Kamal | (Inter Press Service) | - - MADRID (IPS) - - When 25 million Syrians–half of them refugees abroad or at home and the other half terrorised by daily…

Russia Says World in ‘New Cold War’ over Syria

TeleSur | - - "Sometimes I wonder if it's 2016 or if we live in 1962," Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the Munich Security Conference, Saturday. The world has sunk into a “new…

Despite Syria Cease Fire, Belligerents Plot military Victory

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Despite the announcement at Munich of a cessation of hostilities in Syria, to be implemented in the next week or so, all the…

The Costs That Come With Russia’s Gains In Syria

Charles Recknagel | ( RFE/RL | - - With Russia's monthslong air campaign in Syria now focused on a key rebel stronghold, Moscow can claim success in putting its stamp on the…

Russia and Iran are allied in Syria – but are they as close as they seem?

Marzieh Kouhi-Esfahani | ( The Conversation | - - After years of isolation, Iran is slowly coming back in from the cold after the deal to curb its nuclear programme. And as…

Russia Warns of ‘World War’ as Saudi Plans Syria Intervention

TeleSur | - - Saudi Arabia’s decision to send troops to Syria is “final” and “irreversible,” Saudi military spokesman Ahmed Al-Assiri told reporters Thursday evening as he confirmed earlier comments about sending…

Russia, Syria Daily using Cluster Bombs in Attacks: HRW

Human Rights Watch | - - (Beirut) – The Syrian-Russian joint military operation in Syria has included the use of internationally banned cluster munitions in at least 14 attacks across five governorates…