Internationally, Russia is now seen as a major player in the Middle East, if not the leading player. All those countries which share borders with Syria, or which have also become involved there, have to recognize Russian power. That is in itself significant for Russia's role in the world. Critics of Russian policy see future pitfalls as a consequence of Russia's policy. As The Economist argued in a recent article, "Rather than stitching Syria back together, Russia has let Mr Assad continue to tear it apart".

Source: Forbes January 11, 2019 12:22 UTC