Moscow Ups the Stakes in the Syrian Conflict

Pavel Felgenhauer: Moscow Ups the Stakes in the Syrian Conflict             

Amid increasingly credible reports of the alleged troop buildup in Syria of a “Russian expeditionary force,” the Kremlin has begun trying to rally support for a united international coalition against the Islamic State. Moscow has increased its shipments of weapons, supplies and munitions to Bashar al-Assad’s forces by sea and by air, mostly using an airbase near the coastal city of Latakia. Putin’s strategic objective, however, is not to bring several new APCs or other equipment to Syria; these would change little on the battlefield, where al-Assad’s forces are slowly, but surely losing. Putin wants the creation of an anti-IS “broad coalition” that could legitimate and secure the embattled Syrian president. Moreover, Putin wants a broad understanding with Washington and the West: a revamped international anti-terrorist coalition could defuse the confrontation over Ukraine, leading to sanctions relief and the eventual tacit recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and domination of the rest of Ukraine as part of the Russkiy Mir (the “Russian World”). http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=44355&tx_ttnews[backPid]=7&cHash=5b961c1433d198ca26023014eaa5eca9#.VfYOTc6KI-9