To prevent Russia from cutting permanent deals with the rebels or otherwise salvaging its defeat, Washington must take the reins of the coming transition process.
The road to wider peace in the Mideast cuts through Syria, now thrust into yet another cycle of upheaval. Vladimir Putin lost this round, but he has not been knocked out of Syria. The Kremlin is positioning itself with the new government to make it uphold Moscow’s interests. Russia’s official state media no longer refer to Assad’s opposition as “terrorists” as they have done consistently over the years—a clear signal to the rebels who have reportedly given Russia security guarantees for its military bases and diplomatic institutions in the country. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Russia is taking all the “necessary steps to establish contact in Syria with those capable of ensuring the security of military bases.” Moreover, Russia is a co-signatory to the one document that outlines a process for Syria’s political transition, UN Resolution 2254…
