US reaffirms rejection of rapprochement with Syria after Moscow’s meeting In a meeting in Washington, Barbara A. Leaf, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, said on Wednesday during a meeting with a delegation of the opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) that the US policy towards Syria “has not …

Lebanese internal factions are using the Syrian refugee issue for political gains, according to Syria TV. The issue of inciting violence against Syrian refugees has once again resurfaced in Lebanon, with several political parties spearheading campaigns to force their deportation. However, some political forces and international organizations still reject this …

Hundreds protest against Arab rapprochement with Syria’s al-Assad Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of several cities in northwestern Syria to protest against warming ties between some Arab countries and President Bashar al-Assad. The biggest demonstration took place on Sunday in Idlib, a stronghold of forces opposed to …

Ankara says that the quadripartite meeting planned in Moscow on Tuesday, is part of the efforts to normalize relations with the regime, Asharq Al-Awsat says. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar surprised many by announcing a quadripartite meeting of defense ministers and intelligence chiefs from Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Syria in …

Washington Post: Leaked Documents Show Ukraine Planned Attacks on Russian Forces in Syria Ukraine’s military intelligence made plans to conduct covert attacks on Russian forces operating in Syria with the help of Kurds, leaked U.S. intelligence documents show, the Washington Post reported. The plans appear to have been aimed at …

Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria. The Turkish-Syrian rapprochement efforts, steered by Russia, are ranked as the second most significant game of diplomacy in the Middle East, Forbes reported. Defence ministers and intelligence chiefs from Russia, Turkey, Syria, and Iran convened in Moscow for a crucial four-way …

Russia is now in a far worse negotiating position than in 2014. Finding itself at the mercy of a monopsonist buyer, there is very little it can actually do. A key topic of discussion during the Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Moscow was the Power of Siberia 2 …

Without the assistance of local actors, Russian influence in the Western Balkans would disappear overnight. But the opposite is also true. As long as local politicians can capitalize on invoking Moscow’s long shadow, Russia will remain a salient part of the Balkan landscape. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 …

Relations with Russia will have to be overhauled, since the main subject of discussion—Karabakh—will disappear. For most Armenians, the Kremlin will be seen as an unreliable ally that abandoned them in their hour of need. A turning point has been reached in the long-running conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Last …

The main obstacle to the creation of a planned digital database of Russians eligible for military service is not the technology required, but the struggle between various agencies for control of this powerful new tool. Controversial new amendments to Russia’s law on military conscription promise to radically alter the relationship …