Syrian rebels have dealt a blow to Vladimir Putin’s naval ambitions

FOR 50 YEARS Russia’s foothold within the Mediterranean has been sure up with the Assad dynasty in Syria. It was once in 1971 that Hafez al-Assad—father of Bashar, Syria’s dictator till final week—turned into president of the rustic. And it was once the similar yr that the Soviet Union signed a take care of Syria to hire a port at Tartus on Syria’s coast. That enduring Russian army presence now hangs by means of a thread, following the swift cave in of the Assad regime. The Kremlin seems to have have shyed away from a panicked and disorderly departure, however its affect on NATO’s southern flank is more likely to wane.

Author: OpenAI