Why is Russia an ally of Syria Why does Putin support President Assad - DAILY NEWS

Why is Russia an ally of Syria? Why does Putin support President Assad? FEARS of a conflict between the US and Russia
have escalated after President Trump taunted The Kremlin with the threat of airstrikes
in Syria. But why are Putin and Assad allies in the
first place? US President Donald Trump has warned Russia
the country should be get ready for missiles to be launch into the war-torn country
of Syria. Russia responded by saying missiles should
fly toward terrorists, not its own legal government bases. The threats came after a recent suspected
chemical gas attack on Douma which killed 80 Syrian people, the last rebel-held town
in the Eastern Ghouta region of Syria.

However, President Bashar Assad has denied
any responsibility for the attack. The situation in Russia is confusing to say
the least, and there are several countries and groups involved in the conflict. Russia and Iran are key supporters of Syrias
administration, while the US, Turkey and Saudi Arabia back government rebels. Russia is widely expected to shoot down any
missiles that enter Syrian airspace.

However, a number of countries are trying
to pressure Putin into breaking his ties with the Assad regime. Why is Russia an ally of Syria? The allegiance between Syria and Russia has
deep roots which go back to the Cold War. During the 1970s the Soviet Union gained influence
in Syria, supplying them with arms and aid. However, after the Soviet Union collapsed
in the 1990s, the country reduced its influence.

When Putin became president of Russia and
Assad became president of Syria in 2000 they did not have a close relationship. But when Putin began to expand Russias
military in the mid 2000s, he thought it wise to gain strong allies in the Middle East. Richard Reeve, director of the Sustainable
Security Programme at the Oxford Research Group, said: Putin began to think about
developing Russia as a great power again. The relationship expanded even further during
the Arab Spring, a series of protests and demonstrations in the Middle East and North
Africa in 2011.

When Libya managed to overthrow their long-term
leader Muammar Gaddafi, Russia saw this as undermining its influence in the Arab world. This led Putin to look for allies elsewhere
in the region, turning again to Syria and Assad. The alliance was supposedly less to do with
Assad himself, and more about Russias own interests in the region. Assad became the obvious choice for an ally,
because he was a symbol of resisting colour revolutions and attempts at regime change.

Russias presence in Syria is essentially
to fight against Islamic State (IS), however, Putin has also attacked other groups that
go against Assad. The Kremlins presence is a chance for the
country to flex its military muscles. Putins forces have been present in Syria
for its seven-year civil war. Russia had been keeping up Assad and his government,
launching airstrikes against opposition, deployed special forces on the group and supplied troops
with food and aid.

Matthew Rojansky, director of the Washington-based
Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Centre, said: The regime was on the verge of collapse. Assad had lost almost everything. He was really on the ropes. Daniel Treisman, professor of political science
at UCLA, added: Russian military involvement has succeeded in at least temporarily stabilising
the situation, allowing the Assad regime to win back territory that had been taken by
the rebels.

Rojansky said that Putin intervened to
draw a line in the sand against uprising that had American and Western sympathy. He wanted to prevent that from happening in
Syria. Syria is important to Russia for many reasons,
including its strategic geographic location in the Middle East. Russias naval fleet in the Syrian port
city of Tartus allows access to the Mediterranean..