Russia flexes in Syria as US warns of Ukraine invasion
The Kremlin is exercising its power well outside of Europe with naval and air drills on the Mediterranean ahead of an expected invasion of Ukraine.
The US and its closest Western allies believe Russia may invade Ukraine in the next few days. If carried out, such a war would be catastrophic for eastern Europe and would likely launch tumult the region has not seen in three decades, if not since World War II.
But such a conflict would not only affect Europe. Last week, the nominee for the next commander of US forces in the Middle East told lawmakers that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is likely to have ripple effects in Syria — where Russian, American, Turkish and other foreign soldiers are backing a patchwork of local factions across a stalemated battlefield.
“If Russia does invade Ukraine they would not hesitate to be able to act as a spoiler in Syria as well,” Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla told US senators last week.
What that means: Russian forces backing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad have tested US troops and their Kurdish-led partners on the east side of the Euphrates River in recent years.
