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.
