Putin Loses Grip On Syria, As Trump Flexes His Muscles

Cold War-style stand-off between US and Russia looms

“We don’t want to start World War III”

- Henry Meyer, Ilya Arkhipov and Stepan Kravchenkolu

Russian President Vladimir Putin risks losing hard-won gains in Syria now that the US has upended the balance of forces by striking at his ally President Bashar al-Assad after accusing the leader of a chemical attack that killed scores of people.

While Russia is hoping the barrage of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles launched at a Syrian airbase this month doesn’t signal further US military involvement, it was bracing for more confrontation ahead of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s planned first visit to Moscow.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the strikes put the world’s two biggest nuclear-armed powers “on the verge of a military clash” and dashed any remaining hopes that President Donald Trump would bring an improvement in relations.

Russia suspended an agreement with the US to avoid hostile incidents in the skies above Syria and vowed to step up air defences there.

Drawing a parallel to the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Russia following the strikes accused the US and its allies of seeking regime change by sabotaging the Russian efforts to secure a Syrian peace deal.

A Russian air campaign since late 2015 helped Assad reverse the tide of the six-year war with rebels. After persuading Turkey, one of the main rebel backers, to help broker a cease-fire, Russia’s efforts to secure the Syrian leader’s grip on power through a peace agreement have now been thrown into doubt by the US. Turkey praised the airstrikes and called for a no-fly zone in Syria as well as for Assad’s swift removal.