So far so good for Mr Putin. He has correctly judged the operational paralysis of Washington. The question now is how far he pushes his advantage. If his goal is to stabilise the front lines in Syria and then use Russia’s enhanced position in the region to push for a diplomatic settlement, then his gamble will have paid off. As part of the settlement, he could earn an easing of the sanctions imposed for Russian aggression against Ukraine. But the chances of any kind of Syrian settlement that would end the war and please Russia are extremely slim.
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