Has Assad’s Ouster “Shaken” Putin? Syria Base Pullout A Blow to Russia’s Africa & Mideast Ambitions?
The Kremlin on December 11 played down the damage to Russian influence in the Middle East from the fall of Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad. Russia’s military bases in Syria were a major asset for Moscow until the Assad regime’s stunning collapse in a rapid offensive by rebels. Russian military sites in Syria include a naval port on the Mediterranean Sea to berth submarines and an airfield to project power across the Middle East and Africa. However, Russia is now facing the prospect of losing its military footprint in Syria as well as the Middle East. n18oc_world n18oc_crux