Opinion: Why Russia protects al-Assad
In the function of Western leaders sought to meddle the Syrian dictator from power, his old associates in vogue Moscow sent an aircraft-carrying missile cruiser to Syrian waters in vogue a act of support live month and shipped his troops a batch of Yakhont cruise missiles.Daniel Treisman Such procedures are fair the most up-to-date now a litany of obstructionist drills and spoiler ploys whose goal often appears only to chip away at Western international objectives. From Washington, Moscow has seemed dogged to soften or else delay sanctions on Iran aimed on reduction its nuclear ambitions, to stall into talks with North Korea above its nuclear weapons, to intimidate pro-democracy appointments into neighboring states, and to egg on anti-American dictators such equally Hugo Chavez.Western commentators typically attribute such behavior to Putins individual paranoia otherwise to attempts to renew the nations wounded pride and assert Russias superpower status. Look a not much closer, however, and Russias dealings seem motivated further by calculated albeit every so often miscalculated realpolitik than by psychological impulses.originator, strategic interests are by stake.