The Russia-Ukraine-Syria connections
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The Russian attack on Ukraine last month has diverted the international community’s already fading attention from the now 11-year civil war in Syria.
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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, addressing the Security Council on March 23, said that Syrians feel "abandoned by the world" after a decade of war.
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Russia is the primary backer of the Syrian government. Moscow’s military intervention in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has secured Assad’s hold on power in a fragile and divided country.
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Israel coordinates its Syria policy, including intermittent attacks on Iran and Iranian-backed armed groups, with Russia.
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With Russia fully engaged with the war in Ukraine, Turkey, and perhaps others, may sense an opening to press their agendas in Syria.
