Russia’s airstrikes in Syria are in part designed to extract concessions from the West over Ukraine by making Moscow a key player in any attempts by world powers to hammer out a post-conflict settlement in Damascus, some Western officials believe.
While the Syrian capital lies 3,000 km (1,800 miles) south of Kyiv, for Russian President Vladimir Putin they are two fronts in the same war that is aimed at blocking Ukraine’s European integration, some EU, U.S. and NATO officials say.
Publicly no officials will make such a link, saying it is too speculative and French diplomats hosting a high-level meeting with Putin …read more
Source: Voice of America
