Moscow is increasingly concerned and restless over Turkey’s moves in northern Syria.

Russia’s active support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's Idlib offensive indicates Moscow thinks ongoing talks between Turkey and the United States over northeast Syria could lead to the balance of power shifting in Washington's favor. The Kremlin’s patience with Turkey’s balancing act between the two superpowers is wearing thin.

The military offensive against Syrian rebel forces is taking place in Idlib and northern Hama provinces. The area is home to more than 3 million civilians and some 50,000 Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants who took control of the regions from Syrian opposition factions in September. Russia has labeled HTS and its allies as terrorists from the outset and declares it will never tolerate them.

Ankara had initiated diplomatic action and indeed persuaded Russia to set up a demilitarized buffer zone between the rebel-held territories and regime-controlled areas under the Sochi deal reached Sept. 17. The deal also had foreseen reactivation of the critical M4 highway that links Latakia to Aleppo, and the M5 that connects Aleppo to Damascus.