Tag: Russia

A number of Gulf states are becoming increasingly frustrated by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ refusal to negotiate with Israel according to former Israeli Ambassador...

It seems that Israel opted to agree to imperfect understandings with Russia – which were probably subsequently enshrined in the US-Russia summit – regarding the Syrian regime’s return to the south

The meeting in Helsinki between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been surrounded by controversy...  However, the two leaders were also apparently able to discuss some mutual interests, including a common concern for the security of Israel

Today's Update looks at the latest developments in southern Syria, as the Assad regime, with the vital assistance of Russia and Iran, moves to retake the area around Daraa and Quneitra, near Israel's border. The ongoing Iranian presence in Syria is a major security challenge for Israel, and there is ongoing tension between the two countries.

Dr Jonathan Spyer of the Middle East Centre for Reporting and Analysis appeared on ABC News24 with Bev O'Connor on June 19 to discuss the complex situation in Syria as the civil war draws to an end.

Dr Jonathan Spyer of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies discusses how the interests of Russia, Iran and Israel are influencing the situation in Syria as the civil war draws to an end.

Professor Efraim Inbar of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies discusses Turkey and Israel's strategic positions, plus recent developments in Syria. 

The US-Russian relationship in Syria has been a frosty one with its share of risks. Russia's direct intervention in the Syrian civil war began with strikes on anti-Assad militias covertly supported by the West and on the CIA-provided weapons depots that supplied them. Those strikes exposed to the world what had previously been a black program. Russian fighters have routinely harassed US jets and unmanned aerial vehicles and invaded NATO airspace - a pattern that culminated in the downing of a Russian warplane over Turkish soil in mid-2015. Meanwhile, Syrian insurgents have been filmed destroying Russian armour and helicopters using sophisticated US weaponry.

Having reached the six-year anniversary, the death toll is now counted by the hundreds of thousands with a refugee crisis tallied in the millions. The catastrophe in Syria remains a dark stain on the soul of humanity that challenges previously held norms and assumptions.

The direction of events in Syria raises a number of questions about the current diplomacy of the Syrian war which have potential implications far beyond Syria itself. These relate primarily to the intentions of Russia in the Syrian conflict, and also to the stance that the new US Administration will take.

Regarding Russia, the question is what Putin is looking for in Syria - how do the Russians see the endgame?