Many consider Russia to be behind the latest round of regime infighting. But does a recent flurry of articles in Russian media criticising Assad really suggest that the Kremlin’s attitudes towards the Syrian president are cooling?
Putin
Russian Media on Syria and Bashar al-Assad
by Inna Rudolf
Russia’s comeback in the Middle East
Putin’s visit to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi in mid-October demonstrated the full magnitude of Russia’s prestige in the region and cemented Moscow’s position as a leading power in the Middle East. But what is the Kremlin’s realistic clout in the Gulf?