In his recent United Nations speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the world to join Russia's fight against terrorism while preserving Syria as a nation. He had already boldly forced the issue by sending troops, weapons and aircraft to Syria in the expressed hope that the rest of the world would feel compelled to follow his lead.
Yet Putin has done nothing to prepare the groundwork, either internationally or domestically, for such an inherently risky move. Indeed, he has done precisely what he criticizes Washington for doing — acting unilaterally without first consulting the global community. Putin is also an implausible defender of Syria's integrity as a nation in the wake of Russia's actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. In fact, he is beginning another military adventure before finishing his previous one and at a time of profound economic weakness in Russia.
Putin may have pulled off a fait accompli in Syria. But he has not defined his end game. He claims that his immediate military goals are not offensive but defensive. Nonetheless, one can anticipate numerous ways in which Russian soldiers could unintentionally become embroiled in conflict, and why 1,000 to 2,000 troops will not change the facts on the ground or resolve Syria's refugee crisis.
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