iThe four-year war in Syria has devastated the country, and more actors become involved in the situation, creating a proxy war. In Vienna, the first talks, consisted of the countries involved in the proxy war in Syria, has begun. The goal of the meeting was to bring more cohesion of the different sides. The rebels in Syria are backed mainly by the US and its allies while the Syrian government is backed by Russia and Iran. Recently the Russian government has announced its planned military involvement in Syria. Some viewed the intervention to help the Al-Assad regime, but some criticized the act as a sign of Russia weakening by distracting the Russian public.
Russia claimed that they got involved due to their relations with the Syrian government, and it was their duty to do so. Russia's foreign relations with the Al-Assad regime have been friendly. The countries have provided economic and military aid to each, along with setting up military and naval bases in Syria. Last week, both leaders, Al-Assad and Putin, had met up in Russia to discuss their joint military against the rebels and terrorists. The Syrian Ambassador in Russia praised Russia's involvement Russian intervention is the only legitimate intervention under international law and called for other countries to join the legal Russian intervention in Syria (along with the coordination with the Syrian government). Russia's ambassador has also claimed that a wave of Islamic fundamentalism unleashed by the Arab Spring might sweep away Christians, who consist 10% of the Syrian population. Russia was viewed as extending a hand to a country in need and to their own people in both the Syrian and Russian eyes.
Some may view the intervention as a support to end the conflict. However, some claim that the act in the decision making in the foreign policy was due to Russia' weak social infrastructure. The country is weak in economics and has caused dissatisfaction in the region. Their weak economy was due to the country being sanctioned by several countries for territorial aggression on Ukraine, and holding a possibly rigged referendum on the status of Crimea. The weak economy has angered several, which is why the Russian government created a “rally’ round the flag” syndrome. A“rally’ round the flag” syndrome is when a government undertakes a war or foreign military intervention at a time of domestic difficulty to distract attention and gain public support. Citizens who criticized their government’s policies often refrain from criticism when the government is at war, creating a diversionary foreign policy.
It is unclear whether or not Putin's intervention were acting out of moral obligations, or whether it was a distraction for the Russian people. It is hard to identify and determine since governments do not announce it to the public directly, and only through its people. Although the motives are unclear, with Russia involved in talks in Vienna, the cooperation between US and Russia would hopefully result. For without the countries working together, it would be harder to settle the war.
Russia claimed that they got involved due to their relations with the Syrian government, and it was their duty to do so. Russia's foreign relations with the Al-Assad regime have been friendly. The countries have provided economic and military aid to each, along with setting up military and naval bases in Syria. Last week, both leaders, Al-Assad and Putin, had met up in Russia to discuss their joint military against the rebels and terrorists. The Syrian Ambassador in Russia praised Russia's involvement Russian intervention is the only legitimate intervention under international law and called for other countries to join the legal Russian intervention in Syria (along with the coordination with the Syrian government). Russia's ambassador has also claimed that a wave of Islamic fundamentalism unleashed by the Arab Spring might sweep away Christians, who consist 10% of the Syrian population. Russia was viewed as extending a hand to a country in need and to their own people in both the Syrian and Russian eyes.
Some may view the intervention as a support to end the conflict. However, some claim that the act in the decision making in the foreign policy was due to Russia' weak social infrastructure. The country is weak in economics and has caused dissatisfaction in the region. Their weak economy was due to the country being sanctioned by several countries for territorial aggression on Ukraine, and holding a possibly rigged referendum on the status of Crimea. The weak economy has angered several, which is why the Russian government created a “rally’ round the flag” syndrome. A“rally’ round the flag” syndrome is when a government undertakes a war or foreign military intervention at a time of domestic difficulty to distract attention and gain public support. Citizens who criticized their government’s policies often refrain from criticism when the government is at war, creating a diversionary foreign policy.
It is unclear whether or not Putin's intervention were acting out of moral obligations, or whether it was a distraction for the Russian people. It is hard to identify and determine since governments do not announce it to the public directly, and only through its people. Although the motives are unclear, with Russia involved in talks in Vienna, the cooperation between US and Russia would hopefully result. For without the countries working together, it would be harder to settle the war.