Russia’s Calculated Embrace of Syria’s New Regime Masks a Shifting Geopolitical Chessboard

In a development that should set off alarms in Washington, Russia recently welcomed Syria’s new foreign minister to Moscow — the first such visit since Bashar al-Assad was forcibly removed from power last year. This symbolic gesture is far from mere diplomacy; it signals a strategic recalibration by Moscow in the Levant that demands our full attention. Is Russia Reasserting Its Grip on Syria at America’s Expense? For over a decade, Russia was Assad's staunchest ally, using military might to prop up a regime responsible for brutal civil war atrocities. Yet when insurgents finally dislodged Assad last year, Russia notably...