Putin backs away from Assad regime

Putin backs away from Assad regime

www.theglobeandmail.com

In a striking rebuke to Syria’s embattled government, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has warned that the Assad regime’s days may be numbered and a ceasefire with rebel forces must be reached.

With international support waning for President Bashar al-Assad, Mr. Putin declined to stand squarely by the dictatorship that he was once thought to prop up.

“We don’t have a special relationship,” the Russian leader said in an interview with the editors of six major international newspapers, including The Globe and Mail.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.iol.co.za
arabnews.com
www.thestar.com

This could be old news, but I did a couple searches, some with results relating to Russian/Syrian topics, but not to this topic specifically.

This is definitely a good sign IMO, at least he's speaking the truth, that the Syrians have to figure it out for themselves. International interventionism is not what they want to my understanding, they are however, insistent that a ceasefire must be met, and I presume they would want serious negotiations to take place.

This is what needs to happen, enforce a ceasefire, if someone wants to continue fighting they're probably somewhat to blame anyway. The same could be said for a few other nations in the region, I'm sure.. Sort it out, get along, if you start $#!? then prepared to be $#!? upon. Fair and simple, right?

There are some other links reporting similar stories, not all specifically about Putin reneging on his support, but about the crisis in general, yet mentioning this developing news.

www.theglobeandmail.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by ToFarGone


The Russian storyline has been all over the map lately.

We support Assad, well not so much...kinda...but not really.

They'll toss him under the bus eventually, at which point Iran will either have to up the ante or cave in.

China is the wild card in this deck.

The timeline of Russian support for the despotic Syrian regime merely reflects the grip on power Assad actually has. Russia supported Assad when it all looked like they would suppress the uprisings, their support has wavered because they have not and now it looks like Russia's support may be leaving the room, alongside any thought Assad will be able to return to normality. Assad and his cronies are damaged goods.

Russia must keep an eye on the future if they are to have any hope of keeping Syria as their client in the region. If Assad's days are numbered (and let's hope they are) Russia must be able to offer continuity to whoever replaces him.

However, Russia may well have stayed in Assad's presence for too long and lost too much credibility for that to happen. The proverbial “if you work with pigs, then you end up smelling like one”.

Regards

If you sleep with the pigs etc etc.....i thought that was it......
This is very unsettling news indeed.....
Its scarey as old hell.....
With the Russians standing aside, we can now engage Syria,and end up taking Iran down too......
That is what the war hawks will attempt to pull off if Putin backs away from Assad very much further.....That article pretty much makes it official.....
This is a very BIG STEP towards WAR

So just how should Syria make freinds with terrorists that are all being financed by Israel and sold out to the devil years ago.

Russia is starting to look like the USA when it comes to freinds and can not be trusted as far as you can spit and will find themselves on the ropes if and when Iran is taken out and thats a big if when they are under attack and most likly have biological weapons ready to put Israel and it puppets in the USA back in the stone age.

Make no mistake nukes are nothing compaired to something that comes out of a flask but if you won't stop the criminals in washington taking you to war then you will soon regreat saying nothing if things go the way i think they will.

Maybe Putin got the news that a 'conflict' with Syria and/or Iran is very close.

reply to post by Master_007


Russia has been rather flip-floppy on their stance with Syria, it actually reminds me of the days prior to the invasion of Libya. They tried to block efforts to create no-fly zones, and I believe initially supported Gaddafi. The pressure builds, and they let go. If it's Syria's turn now, I wonder who could be next? Perhaps these efforts have only been used as an attempt to lull certain parties into false confidence, to make us believe that maybe they won't go all the way for anyone else.

Perhaps the Russians would just rather continue selling their arms and other supplies to Syria? (Maybe resources are all that is tying these groups together, Iran could be involved to some degree, China as well - This seems to make some sense to me, because as we know, it's mostly, all about profit.

I think both sides of the field need to be forced to sit down, and to reach a peace - if any side, rebel, or loyalist, wishes to continue the violence without attempting peace, then it should be seen as a sign of the aggressor and the appropriate side should face consequences. In the end though, for peace to be meaningful, the Syrians do have to figure it out for themselves, but we should continue to pay attention, to be sure that the result is fair for a majority of Syrians.

reply to post by stirling


You could certainly be right Stirling. For all we know, this is Putin's will, maybe he really wants conflict?

Sounds to me though, he would like to take a position of observer, have the groups involved work it out for themselves and achieve real peace - as opposed to invading, clearing the regime, and instigating several years of civil war. I do believe though that he WANTS them to figure it out for themselves, he DEMANDS a ceasefire, but WILL stop outside interference.

Bluffing !!

With all the investment he have in Syria
and military ports the Russian have ... pure bluff
he probably wants the world to believe that
and fall into a big mouse trap if they attack Syria

Russia flip flops because it waits to gain something from the West before supporting Western objectives. Putin may hate Assad but he is not going to say that until he gets something from the other powerful nations for saying so. Putin is a chess player. The reason Iran is still making nuclear power plants right now is because Putin wanted the US to stop putting missles defence on it's borders. US refuses to do so so Putin lets Iran continue on its path to Nuclear weapons. If NATO would remove the missle defence Russia would join the world community in removing Irans Nuclear advances. At the very least Russia would look the other way when Israel bombs the plants. Russia know the US defence system is there for weakening Russia. They are not stupid over there.

Thanks for the replies so far, this is a topic which may unfold, and I appreciate you folks helping me with your input!

reply to post by Ben81


My conspiratorial senses tingle when I see those words, but for now, I just get to wonder.

reply to post by Xeven


Xeven, that is a statement that makes a lot of sense to me, thank you for posting. The proposed defense shield for Europe, planned by NATO, pushed by the USA, is a potentially serious thorn in the sides of the Russians. The USA is going for invulnerability it seems, which in itself makes all non-complying nations or groups, vulnerable. Of course they're gonna try to stop it. What does anyone think would happen if Russia and or China, were to try and develop their own missile shield? You can bet India or Pakistan or be signed up in a heartbeat. Would the West/NATO simply take it lying down? Who knows..


I do see the validity in the point though, that they are holding out to get what they can. I really do think you just hit the nail on the head so far as the China/Iran/Russia/Syria - Israel/NATO/USA issue is concerned. Tit for tat

reply to post by TDawgRex

China and Russia's stand on Syria is the same. Let the Syrians sought out their future without foreign intervention. They know foreign intervention will bring about more instability and uncertainty as well as give opporturnity to extremist groups to seize control and destabilise the region. Most groups will claim that they were victimised and will only show their true colour when they take power. They are playing on your sympathy for military support so China and Russia are staying out. They have to be consistent here as when they deal with their own they expect to see no foreign intervention too. No one wants to be the world policeman except US and its slowly but surely weakening her financially. Maybe that is the aim of these countries...to weaken her. Wake up US something is not right with the big picture here. US should always remain strong and a deterrent to bad people with devilish intentions. You can't be a deterrent if you are already weak. So stay strong and keep out of other people's affair like China and Russia. The free world needs you to be strong.

reply to post by Ben81

He wants the West to think that he can see "eye to eye" with what they are trying to do in Syria till he wins the Presidential election. He wouldn't want the West to finance rallies to upstage his chances.

reply to post by slanteye


Kinda rambling, but I think I understand what you are saying. And to a certain point, I agree with it.

But in todays diplomatic world, everyboby is in everybody affairs to one degree or another.

There is no denying that.

Originally posted by slanteye
reply to post by TDawgRex

 

China and Russia's stand on Syria is the same. Let the Syrians sought out their future without foreign intervention. They know foreign intervention will bring about more instability and uncertainty as well as give opporturnity to extremist groups to seize control and destabilise the region. Most groups will claim that they were victimised and will only show their true colour when they take power. They are playing on your sympathy for military support so China and Russia are staying out. They have to be consistent here as when they deal with their own they expect to see no foreign intervention too. No one wants to be the world policeman except US and its slowly but surely weakening her financially. Maybe that is the aim of these countries...to weaken her. Wake up US something is not right with the big picture here. US should always remain strong and a deterrent to bad people with devilish intentions. You can't be a deterrent if you are already weak. So stay strong and keep out of other people's affair like China and Russia. The free world needs you to be strong.

This is a typical example of Putin realizing that he has over done it with the anti-U.S. rhetoric. At the point Syria is now...where there is wholesale SLAUGHTER going on in country....and the fact that Putin has made statements backing the Syrian Regime....he has begun to look like a MORON that he would back a Regime that will use Heavy Armament to Kill a bunch of KIDS protesting.

He did the same thing for awhile in backing the regime in Iran...until the Iranians made threats to close the Strait of Hormuz....the worlds Bloodline for energy....then he just started to back off realizing how much international support and respect his statements were creating. Split Infinity