In the years since, this has paid off both internationally and domestically. Russia has long stood by the controversial Syrian regime both militarily and politically. In 2000, Vladimir Putin became president of Russia while Bashar al-Assad became president of Syria. Previously, Russia's ambassador to Lebanon has said any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted - a step which could trigger a major escalation in the Syrian war. In 2000, Vladimir Putin became president of Russia and Bashar al-Assad became president of Syria. Although the major Russian state-owned arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, continues to ship weapons to Syria, the collaborative energy projects have all but ground to a halt, and Syrian trade in general has declined dramatically since 2011. Russia saw in Syria an opportunity to act decisively, and took it. "If there is a strike by the Americans then... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," he told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Iran is also a powerful backer of the Assad regime as both are from the Shia branch of Islam as opposed to the Sunni religion of Isis and Saudi Arabia. The main sides in the Syrian conflict are President Assad's official Syrian army, Isis and Syrian rebel factions. Alexander Zasypkin said he was referring to a statement by Russian president Vladimir Putin and the Russian chief-of-staff. The usual explanations are that Syria buys lots of Russian arms and that the Syrian port of Tartus is an important “base” for Russia’s Mediterranean Fleet. Peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition are in doubt. She also says that "the Middle East is closer to Russia than it is to us [in the UK], or the USA - so they find unrest there a security threat". The Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War began in September 2015, after an official request by the Syrian government for military aid against rebel groups. For a decade the two countries had a fairly solid relationship but Moscow was always a lot closer to Libya. a) Economics: Russia is one of Syria’s biggest arms suppliers. Its goal was to reclaim its status as a global power broker. Syria is Russia's oldest and staunchest ally in the region, and their alliance dates back to 1956. When Gaddafi was overthrown in Libya, Russia saw the move as an attack on its influence in the middle east. "It just seems so stupid an action that it is difficult to understand - and I'm sure the Russians have difficulty understanding it. Syrian refugees who arrive in … In the Sunni countries the instigate insurgencies. VideoHow scientists got a very rare toad to breed. I'm sure they are extremely displeased by it.". ", Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat, Bloody day in Myanmar's main city sees 21 killed. It is Russia’s only naval access to the Mediterranean, and they are not going to give it up. By supporting the Assad regime, Russia helps to produce the refugees that drive European politics rightward. Putin added that the strike had a "destructive influence on the entire system of international relations". "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. However, despite mounting atrocities and international sanctions Vladimir Putin has put on a united front with the troubled tyrant. Those customers, Richard Reeve says, might include future governments in Egypt, Libya and Iraq. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. But after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, its influence in Syria reduced. This has since escalated into a full blown civil war in which so far the United Nations has estimated that over 100,000 (1) people have died. The US is said to have 2,000 troops on the ground offering support to those battling ISIS. Russian leaders support a peace deal with broad consensus among Syria's moderate factions that would allow Assad to remain in power. Syria's only other true ally Iran would certainly be reluctant to take on its growing list of enemies. They argue that Russia continues to support the Syrian regime in order to protect its own strategic interests and, in particular, to fight terrorism while also becoming an important power broker in the Middle East. Summary. We pay for videos too. Russia supports him because they have two military bases in Syria, which obviously the would like to keep. Russia is not a stranger to Syria, rather an important ally of Syria. Putin has even vetoed an inquiry into the chemical weapons attack on Douma. Putin's military has several bases in the war-torn country including Hmeymim airbase, Tartus naval base as well as thousands of servicemen. Nigerian stars Burna Boy and Wizkid win Grammys1, Merkel's party slumps to defeat in regional polls2, Met Police chief will not resign over vigil scenes3, Bloody day in Myanmar's main city sees 21 killed4, Dutch police break up anti-lockdown protest5, North Korea 'not responding' to US contact efforts6, NI to still use AstraZeneca amid Irish suspension7, Arrests over assault on Muslim boy at Hindu temple8, Grammys 2021: Seven things to look out for9, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe appears in Iran court10. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? There is, therefore, a serious strategic rationale for Russia’s involvement in Syria and, more specifically, for the recent announcement of a sizeable financial investment in the port of Tartus. The same logic applies to Assad: He has been cornered by the West and the domestic opposition in Syria, which is why Putin’s mentality does not allow him to give up supporting the Syrian president. Bizarrely this weakness has turned out to be a great bargaining chip when dealing with the Kremlin. Just the threat of upsetting Putin has kept many of Assad's rivals at bay. This comes after a suspected chemical attack killed 80 Syrian people in a town held by anti-Assad rebels last week. RUTHLESS despot Bashar al-Assad has killed nearly 100,000 of his own people and driven millions more out of Syria. They want to kill them.". By 2017, Putin announced, “a significant part of the Russian troop contingent located in Syria is returning home.”. By Karen Leigh, Syria Deeply. In a statement issued by the Kremlin, the Russian leader said Moscow is calling an emergency meeting of the United Nations' Security Council over the strike launched by the US, Britain and France. Starting in 2015, Putin seriously escalated Russia’s military commitment by sending jet fighters and an estimated 4,000 troops to Syria. The main reason for Assad staying in power is because of Russia. Without Assad, his cronies insist, Syria will soon fall into the hands of ISIS extremists hell bent on taking over the world. But at the moment, Russia is not dropping its support for pro-Assad forces. This initially caused domestic concern about the cost of the war. Yes, Russia does sell lot of arms — $15 billion worth in 2012. Russia, China and Iran are Syrian President Bashar Assad's closest allies. Bashar al-Assad became president of Syria. Why Russia Supports Syria. None of the rockets hit any targets and Israeli aircraft responded by extensively hitting both Syrian and Iranian military sites in Syria. Video, Brutal crackdown continues on Myanmar protesters, How scientists got a very rare toad to breed. Again, we are being threatened. But she says that the West's response to the suspected chemical attacks - calling for Russia to withdraw their support for Assad - may actually have the opposite effect. Libya overthrew their long-term leader, Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011, "which Russia saw as directly undermining its influence in the Arab world," says Mr Reeve. "I think they've committed so hard to backing Assad that it will be very difficult for Russia to disengage from that at the moment," he says. "This gives the military real war experience - for their own confidence - and it sends a message to the rest of the world that Russia is a capable, modern military player. Some of these rebel groups are backed by al-Qaeda while other groups are supported by the West. But Syria hasn’t been among its big customers; China, India, Algeria and Vietnam have. She suggests that this may be partly because they are worried about the potential effects the conflict will have on the large Muslim population in Russia. Russia has also played a key role in Syria’s monetary system. "If you wanted to negotiate some end to the conflict, you couldn't disregard Russia's views on how that conflict should be settled," she says. "They are very worried about them [Muslim Russian rebel fighters] infiltrating back into Russia," Prof Light says. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, Assad and Putin both came to power in the same year, Islamic State fighters pictured on the border between Syria and Iraq, Trump has threatened to take action over the chemical attack in Douma, Two Russian papers discuss potential for war between US and Russia over Syria. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. However, Russian support in Syria increased dramatically following the Arab Spring uprisings which began in 2011. They did not have a close relationship, but in … A number of countries are trying to pressure Russia into distancing itself from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin has channelled billions of dollars to the Syrian government to prevent a financial collapse. They did not have a close relationship, but in the mid-2000s, Putin began to expand the Russian military. "They are not going to do what we tell them. In May 2018, Iranian Quds forces based in Syria launched a 20 rockets attack on Israel. There is no rational basis upon which to expect Russia to renounce its support for Syria. Following the strikes in the morning of April 14, Vladimir Putin branded the US-led effort in Syria as an "act of aggression" that will exacerbate humanitarian catastrophe. He soon started to look for allies - and new customers - elsewhere in the region. February 15, 2014, 6:49 PM Cultural connections elevated the relationship beyond the obvious strategic and commercial interests. Video, How scientists got a very rare toad to breed, 'When I beat the boys, they feel terrible' Video, 'When I beat the boys, they feel terrible', Nigerian stars Burna Boy and Wizkid win Grammys, Met Police chief will not resign over vigil scenes, Dutch police break up anti-lockdown protest, North Korea 'not responding' to US contact efforts, NI to still use AstraZeneca amid Irish suspension, Arrests over assault on Muslim boy at Hindu temple, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe appears in Iran court. It came after Russian ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, said on Twitter: "A pre-designed scenario is being implemented. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. James Steels. Ankara and Moscow for years were rivals in the Syrian conflict, providing support to different sides in the war. the under-threat Assad regime was ever toppled. "It's probably quite embarrassing for the Russians that Syrians have used chemical weapons.". Despite mounting atrocities and international sanctions Vladimir Putin has put on a united front with the troubled tyrant. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). He reaffirmed Russia's view that a purported chemical attack in the Syrian town of Douma that prompted the strike was a fake. The Real Reason Why Iran Backs Syria. "It's part of this determination, by Putin mostly, to show that Russia is a strong power that has to be reckoned with.". Russian ties with Syria began to strengthen because of their previous Cold War relationship. Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . "It's basically a theatre to test out their military equipment and doctrine," says Mr Reeve. Moscow MANY in the West believe that Russia’s support for Syria stems from Moscow’s desire to profit from selling arms to Bashar al-Assad’s government and maintain its … The story goes back at least to Cold War times, when the Soviet Union gained influence in Syria in the 1970s, giving aid and arms. Why it cares: Two main reasons: One has to do with economics; the other with ideology. Assad and Syria were the obvious choice. Iran want to increase their influence in the region and do that by supporting the Shia Islam throughout. But in practice, they also attack other anti-Assad rebels, some of which are also backed by the West. The Syrian crisis has been raging on since March 2011 when civil disorder erupted within the country influenced by the wider regional ‘Arab Spring’. We pay for your stories! View our online Press Pack. Both theories are simplistic.
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