It was a telling demonstration of how influence over the 8-year-old conflict in Syria has shifted from the United States to Russia. It remained unclear on Tuesday whether President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia intended to keep his forces in the area indefinitely. But for Russia, the reshuffling of northeastern Syria, which had in recent years been a virtual American protectorate, yielded two main benefits. The United States has begun moving its troops onto bases elsewhere in Syria as the first stage in a near total withdrawal from the country. Throughout the war, Russia has used means ranging from military force to creative diplomacy to make itself a central player in Syria — at the expense of the United States.

Source: bd News24 October 16, 2019 04:18 UTC