"Shameful defeat": after the collapse of Assad regime, Putin will become more "uncompromising" in Ukraine - the media
It is noted that the senior lawyer of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Hannah Notte called the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria "shameful failure". "In recent years, Russia has always accused of mistakes and embarrassments of Ukraine and its western fans. He can try to do the same with the fall of Assad, but rhetorical gymnastics will not work. .
Analysts say that the rapid fall of Assad regime can affect the course of war in Ukraine and make Putin less prone to compromises. Russian analytics Tatiana Stanova says that Putin was "stunned" by the collapse of the Syrian dictator and will now be less "demonstrating flexibility" in the Russian-Ukrainian war. "The war in Ukraine cost him to some extent," - said Stanova.
According to estimates of various analytical centers, the Kremlin spent £ 2 million daily on the maintenance of Russian troops in Syria and lost several hundred Russian mercenaries and soldiers killed. Despite the fact that Putin's war with Ukraine is in priority, he may have ordered not to spend a single missile or military aircraft in defense of Assad, journalists write.
According to the authors of the material, the Kremlin propagandists "look stunned" and try to form a narrative about "the conspiracy of the event for the exclusion of Russia" around the collapse of Assad regime. At the same time, the Russian propaganda channels of Syrian rebels ceased to be called "terrorists" and instead use the definitions of "armed formations", which can testify to the recognition of their victory and preparation for negotiations.
According to expert journalists, Assad regime can have serious consequences for Moscow's strategy in the Middle East and Africa. In particular, the rejection of the naval base in Tartus will complicate the supply of Russian forces to Libya and West Africa, which can be critical for Putin's plans in this direction, said Honorary Professor of Russian UCL Studios Mark Galeotti.
Galeotti also noted that the Russian system is now "much less flexible" than to a full -scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Putin's regime is now more vulnerable to such unpredictable events. We will remind, on December 9 at a briefing Presidential President Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Assad fled Syria to the Russian Federation. He also stated that Putin personally made a decision to grant asylum in the Russian Federation Assad and his family.