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In Syria, Russia Is Pleased to Fill an American Void | In Syria, Russia Is Pleased to Fill an American Void |
(about 1 month later) | |
DOHUK, Iraq — Russia asserted itself in a long-contested part of Syria on Tuesday after the United States pulled out, giving Moscow a new opportunity to press for Syrian army gains and project itself as a rising power broker in the Middle East. | DOHUK, Iraq — Russia asserted itself in a long-contested part of Syria on Tuesday after the United States pulled out, giving Moscow a new opportunity to press for Syrian army gains and project itself as a rising power broker in the Middle East. |
Russian and Syrian troops drove through a key town where the United States had held sway and picked over abandoned American outposts to announce their presence in the area and deter the Turkish incursion that began last week. | Russian and Syrian troops drove through a key town where the United States had held sway and picked over abandoned American outposts to announce their presence in the area and deter the Turkish incursion that began last week. |
The Russian advance, enabled by President Trump’s decision last week to withdraw, may boost Russia’s Syrian ally, President Bashar al-Assad, while blunting the Turkish incursion. It was a telling demonstration of how influence over the eight-year-old conflict in Syria has shifted from the United States to Russia. But in this case, there appeared to be little balance left in the Americans’ favor. | The Russian advance, enabled by President Trump’s decision last week to withdraw, may boost Russia’s Syrian ally, President Bashar al-Assad, while blunting the Turkish incursion. It was a telling demonstration of how influence over the eight-year-old conflict in Syria has shifted from the United States to Russia. But in this case, there appeared to be little balance left in the Americans’ favor. |
“Look at how they were preparing the base,” a Russian-speaking reporter said in a video shot inside an abandoned American outpost in northeastern Syria, its water tanks, communication towers, tents and fridges full of soda all left behind. “They thought they were going to be here for a long time.” | “Look at how they were preparing the base,” a Russian-speaking reporter said in a video shot inside an abandoned American outpost in northeastern Syria, its water tanks, communication towers, tents and fridges full of soda all left behind. “They thought they were going to be here for a long time.” |
The abrupt order by Mr. Trump to remove United States military personnel from the area set off days of violence that sent more than 150,000 civilians fleeing, shattered the American partnership with Syria’s Kurds, raised fears about an Islamic State revival and allowed Mr. Assad’s troops, backed by their Russian allies, to sweep up new territory without a fight. | The abrupt order by Mr. Trump to remove United States military personnel from the area set off days of violence that sent more than 150,000 civilians fleeing, shattered the American partnership with Syria’s Kurds, raised fears about an Islamic State revival and allowed Mr. Assad’s troops, backed by their Russian allies, to sweep up new territory without a fight. |
Pentagon concern about the safety of the departing United States forces amid the chaos in northern Syria intensified, as seen in a low-flying buzz of a Turkish-backed militia on Tuesday by American Apache helicopter gunships. The militia was about four miles from the Americans at the time of the incident, which was first reported by Fox News and confirmed by an American military official. | Pentagon concern about the safety of the departing United States forces amid the chaos in northern Syria intensified, as seen in a low-flying buzz of a Turkish-backed militia on Tuesday by American Apache helicopter gunships. The militia was about four miles from the Americans at the time of the incident, which was first reported by Fox News and confirmed by an American military official. |
Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo plan to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey in Ankara on Thursday. The White House said Mr. Pence and Mr. Pompeo would relay Mr. Trump’s demand that Mr. Erdogan negotiate a cease-fire in Syria and reiterate the president’s threat to impose economic sanctions if he does not comply. | Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo plan to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey in Ankara on Thursday. The White House said Mr. Pence and Mr. Pompeo would relay Mr. Trump’s demand that Mr. Erdogan negotiate a cease-fire in Syria and reiterate the president’s threat to impose economic sanctions if he does not comply. |
It remained unclear on Tuesday whether President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia intended to keep his forces in the area indefinitely. But for Russia, the reshuffling of northeastern Syria, which had in recent years been a virtual American protectorate, yielded two main benefits. It empowered Mr. Assad, a longtime Russian patron, to accelerate his quest to regain control of all of Syria’s territory, and gave Mr. Putin another place to advertise Russia as a good friend to have in the Middle East. | It remained unclear on Tuesday whether President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia intended to keep his forces in the area indefinitely. But for Russia, the reshuffling of northeastern Syria, which had in recent years been a virtual American protectorate, yielded two main benefits. It empowered Mr. Assad, a longtime Russian patron, to accelerate his quest to regain control of all of Syria’s territory, and gave Mr. Putin another place to advertise Russia as a good friend to have in the Middle East. |
“What’s happening now is a very complicated knot being untied,” said Aleksandr Shumilin, a Middle East specialist at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. “This is an unexpected gift for Putin.” | “What’s happening now is a very complicated knot being untied,” said Aleksandr Shumilin, a Middle East specialist at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. “This is an unexpected gift for Putin.” |
As the United States has sought to reduce its commitments across the region, Mr. Putin has increasingly cast Russia as a worthy alternative. On Tuesday, as American troops were leaving their bases near the Syrian town of Manbij, Mr. Putin was on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates after a trip to Saudi Arabia the day before. | As the United States has sought to reduce its commitments across the region, Mr. Putin has increasingly cast Russia as a worthy alternative. On Tuesday, as American troops were leaving their bases near the Syrian town of Manbij, Mr. Putin was on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates after a trip to Saudi Arabia the day before. |
Both are longtime American allies that have begun questioning the United States’ commitment to their security and looking to diversify their international partnerships. | Both are longtime American allies that have begun questioning the United States’ commitment to their security and looking to diversify their international partnerships. |
“I think of Russia as my second home,” Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi, the de facto ruler of the Emirates, told Mr. Putin. “We are connected by a deep strategic relationship.” | “I think of Russia as my second home,” Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi, the de facto ruler of the Emirates, told Mr. Putin. “We are connected by a deep strategic relationship.” |
Throughout the war in Syria, Russia has been Mr. Assad’s most loyal foreign backer, protecting him from sanctions by the United Nations and sending Russian troops to support his forces and jets to bomb his enemies. | Throughout the war in Syria, Russia has been Mr. Assad’s most loyal foreign backer, protecting him from sanctions by the United Nations and sending Russian troops to support his forces and jets to bomb his enemies. |
As of last month, Russia’s assistance had helped restore Mr. Assad’s control over most of Syria, the largest exception being the northeast, where the United States had partnered with a Kurdish-led militia to fight the Islamic State and had maintained a contingent of about 1,000 troops, in part to keep Mr. Assad away. | As of last month, Russia’s assistance had helped restore Mr. Assad’s control over most of Syria, the largest exception being the northeast, where the United States had partnered with a Kurdish-led militia to fight the Islamic State and had maintained a contingent of about 1,000 troops, in part to keep Mr. Assad away. |
But that changed last Wednesday when Turkey launched its military incursion, setting off new violence that sent American troops scrambling to get out of the way. Feeling betrayed by the Americans, the Kurds made a deal with Mr. Assad that would put his army along the Turkish border. | But that changed last Wednesday when Turkey launched its military incursion, setting off new violence that sent American troops scrambling to get out of the way. Feeling betrayed by the Americans, the Kurds made a deal with Mr. Assad that would put his army along the Turkish border. |