The Washington Post quotes Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center Director John E. Herbst on the presence of Russian advisers in Syria:
Russia’s involvement in Syria is part of a longtime Russian role in the region, said John E. Herbst, director of the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center.
“There has always been a Russian presence in the Middle East,” Herbst said. “It’s not surprising that they are reasserting themselves in Syria.”
Russia’s pivot to Syria could be due in part to recent setbacks in Ukraine, Herbst added, noting that the buildup in war-torn Middle Eastern country could be used as a diversion of sorts.