I don’t see how buffer zones in contested areas should generate return impulses
Asli Aydintasbas is critical of the efforts to establish a buffer zone in the Hasaka region in northeastern Syria
Media mentions – Syria
I don’t think that Turkey has made a general change in its Syria policy, I think that these moves are seen as a necessity to respond to domestic pressure
I don’t think we will see many Syrian or Libyan mercenaries in Donbas. It is also doubtful that they would be useful to the Russians.
Julien Barnes-Dacey comments on the alleged dispatch of Libyan and Syrian mercenaries to support Russian troops in Ukraine
The Biden administration is not going to invest in placing the Assad regime under significant pressure […]The result is regional actors recalibrating
Julien Barnes-Dacey comments on how the US is using a softer touch in the Middle East under President Joe Biden
There is a bit of a different atmosphere this year in the UNSC negotiations. Turkey very much wants to keep the border crossing open, and it is very important for Russia to salvage this relationship
Kelly Petillo analyses the stakes for Russia and Turkey when it comes to preserving a ceasefire in Syria
Many times, some INGOs trying to reach the northeast cross-line were completely turned around at government checkpoint
Kelly Petillo comments on the upcoming UN Security Council vote on cross-border humanitarian access
‘Opposition’ candidates are hand-picked by the regime and might even vote for Assad themselves
Julien Barnes-Dacey thinks that Syria’s presidential ‘election’ is not even worth talking about
To this end Europeans need to stop tying their engagement to an impossible outcome and waiting on others to shape Syria developments on their behalf
Julien Barnes-Dacey criticises the lack of European strategy in Syria in a commentary for ISPI online
The Assad regime has won the war, but they’re failing to win the peace. And that means it will continue to be a source of instability and regional problem for quite some time to come.
Julien Barnes-Dacey comments on the Assad regime and Syria’s ongoing crisis, which carries considerable security risks for the international community
If the price to be paid for survival is ongoing implosion, I think the regime is perfectly prepared to pay that price
Julien Barnes-Dacey comments critically son President Bashar al-Assad’s survival of the most brutal war of the 21st century, something termed a “victory” in Syria’s pro-regime media