The reasons for the Russian withdrawal from Syria

The withdrawal of the armed forces of Moscow by Syria, was not as sudden as it seemed, but was a result of deep reasoning, that they did not justify a longer stay on Syrian soil. The first aim of Russia was to return as the key player in the international arena, with action, which might seem foolhardy, but which allowed to achieve different goals. The military action, in fact, justified the reopening of na multipolar vision of the handling of crisis situations, which was now a fact which concerned chiefly the United States. On the Syrian issue, which could open a new era of diplomatic relations, Moscow is now on a par with Washington, with which it shares the role, together with the United Nations, to chair the peace process. This factor implies the obligation of the United States to deal with Russia as an equal and, in fact, break the diplomatic isolation that the West imposed on Russia for the issue Ukraine and allows the Kremlin to act as an interpreter of the first level of international issues, a role lost with the end of the Soviet empire. But the Syrian adventure was also dictated by practical reasons: the Russian bases in Syria, have always been considered of vital strategic importance and a possible collapse of Assad, did not secure an equally secure future to the stay of the Russian military in the Mediterranean; then the regime change was to be avoided, but not only, it was necessary to ensure a continuation in power in Damascus, avoiding that the regime was defeated. Russian operation the day before the regular Syrian army was crumbling and had lost too many positions to allow Assad to retain power; all this for the benefit of Sunni forces financed by Saudi Arabia and Turkey, who wanted to take control of the country. Moscow had also glimpsed an American ambition to exercise control over Syria, behind Saudi and Turkish maneuvers in reality this assumption could be valid at the beginning of the conflict, then the differences between Washington and the two Sunni states, also for their behavior ambiguous with the Islamic state, have led to a substantial much more cautious attitude on the part of the White House, which, in part, was responsible for the evolution of the conflict. The withdrawal from the Syrian land also aims to avoid a greater involvement of the Russian army, with the massive use of ground troops, which could be seen as the new Afghanistan, most unwelcome situation of Russian public opinion, now fully gratified from the point of view of nationalism, by the demonstration of the Kremlin's power; Moscow also has also had to put a stop to the cost of the mission, became too high for the current economic situation in Russia, which suffers, both Western sanctions, that the decline in crude oil prices. On the future of the Syrian conflict the intention of Moscow is to force Assad, now that he has averted the danger of a political transition without his presence, to face negotiations, which justifies and enhances the Russian role in the Syrian crisis, which can be completed with the achievement of peace; this understanding hides the Russian intention to prepare also a solution that did not include Assad in power, but do highlight Russia's role as a peacemaker also to a possible new government, with which maintain diplomatic relations and military bases in Syria .