Why Syria matters for Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent remarks on Syria once again showed that Moscow’s position on developments in Syria has not changed and Russia is ready to make every effort to protect the embattled Arab country from Western military intervention.
Speaking at his annual end-of-year press conference, Putin emphasized that Russia’s main priority is protecting Syria and not trying to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power. In response, some Western pundits claimed that the protracted violence in Syria has forced Moscow to moderate its stance toward the country. However, Putin’s remarks gave the lie to those surmises and showed that Russia is still the strongest defender of Syria’s sovereignty.
Syria was Russia’s foxhole against the West during the Cold War era, and it still plays a similar role in Moscow’s endeavors to counter the West’s expansionist policies in the Middle East.
Russia wants to play a more effective role in international equations, and defending Syria could help Moscow regain its status as a superpower. Over the past few years, Russia has been facing the threat of Islamic radicalism emanating from the Middle East, and by protecting Syria, Moscow wants to prevent the infiltration of Salafis and Wahhabis into the country.
The 21-month conflict in Syria has put the country on the front line of Russia’s confrontation with Western governments, especially the United States. And any mistake by Russia could open the door to the West’s increasing voracity for occupation and militarization of the region. It would also give the U.S. the opportunity to further weaken Russia’s position on the international stage.
The U.S. government is clearly promoting the spread of Islamic radicalism in the region through helping extremist groups and governments. In fact, by fueling crises in countries like Syria, Washington is decreasing the threat from terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda for the United States and trying to transfer this threat to its old rival Russia.