Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Welcome! Log in to stay connected and make the most of your experience.

Input clean

View: Russia Trapped in Syria

View: Russia Trapped in Syria

The military withdrawal from Syria that President Vladimir Putin touts is less than it seems. The stakes are high because leaders in Moscow see the intervention as crucial to their nation’s status as a global power. Moscow faces a dilemma, but there is a way out, if it will only see the wisdom of taking that route.

The dilemma lies in weighing the costs of staying in Syria or leaving. If Moscow were to disengage and the Assad regime falls, many would see Russia as a near-peer competitor unable to close a major deal. If Russian forces stay in Syria, as is more likely, those troops may face building resentment among Syrians that Russia helped destroy the country but cannot provide large-scale aid to rebuild it.

Keep reading...Show less
Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.

Related Articles

Dead Drop: June 20

IT ONLY TOOK 116 YEARS: The British Secret Intelligence Service better known as MI6 will soon be headed by its first-ever female chief when Blaise [...] More
How Resilient are Energy Markets in Times of Crisis?

How Resilient are Energy Markets in Times of Crisis?

EXCLUSIVE EXPERT PERSPECTIVE -- One would have thought that the outbreak of a major war between Iran and Israel with daily missile salvos, would have [...] More

Report for Friday, June 20, 2025

9:22 America/New York Friday, June 20 [...] More

The Next War Won’t Target Cities, It Will Target Choke Points.

OPINION — In the age of strategic disruption, critical infrastructure is both the terrain and the target. The West’s optimization of systems for [...] More

Report for Thursday, June 19, 2025

9:51 America/New York Thursday, June 19 [...] More

The Rampant Leadership Corruption Plaguing China and Russia

OPINION — In March 2025 the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) published an unclassified report on “Wealth and Corrupt Activities [...] More
Hitting the Panic Button on Rare Earth Minerals

Hitting the Panic Button on Rare Earth Minerals

Rare Earth minerals might not be at the top of your panic list today but when it comes to U.S. national security, it’s an issue that has the [...] More

Amid Crisis, A Lesser-Told Story of US-Iran Similarities Holds Some Hope

OPINION — As experts studiously debate what the latest Israel-Iran fighting will lead to, including a possible Iranian collapse, one enduring but [...] More

Report for Wednesday, June 18, 2025

9:04 America/New York Wednesday, June 18 [...] More