How Syria Became The Centerpiece Of Russia's Middle East Strategy
Whether one thinks that Russia is rescuing Assad, which tends to be the Western perception, or fighting ISIS, several things are very difficult to argue with.
Nikolay Pakhomov is a political analyst and consultant in New York City. He is a Russian International Affairs Council expert. You can follow him on Twitter @nik_pakhomov. This article first appeared several years ago.
Image: Reuters.