The Jerusalem Post quotes Global Energy Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Ariel Cohen on why Russia is unlikely to drop its support for the Assad regime:
Ariel Cohen, a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and the Director of the Center for Energy, Natural Resources, and Geopolitics at the Institute for Analysis of Global Security, told the Post that the Russians are realists and they have people on the ground that are following developments very closely.
Cohen attributes the evacuation of some Russian diplomats and their families to the deterioration of Assad’s position.
Russia may lower the profile of its presence in terms of the number of Russian citizens residing in Syria, but in terms of military aid and other support, “things will continue as usual.”
“It is important for the Kremlin to demonstrate that it is a reliable ally and support the regime until it collapses,” asserted Cohen.