Middle East Strategy Task Force Deputy Director Jessica Ashooh joins Voice of America to discuss the Russian military presence in Syria and what it means in the long term:
“The important thing to remember about the current Russian intervention is that it doesn’t fundamentally change the dynamics of the actual conflict in Syria,” said Jessica Ashooh, deputy director of the Middle East Strategy Task Force at the Washington-based Atlantic Council. “Russia doesn’t have the military capabilities to actually put a stop to the insurgencies.”
Ashooh said to effect any lasting change, Russia would have to commit substantial ground forces to the conflict, which it has been reluctant to do.