Putin Uses U.S. Election As Opportunity To Advance In Syria

With President Obama's days in the White House becoming limited, Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to use this opportunity to further the Russian force in Syria. Putin assumes that Obama will not be able to hold the same level of presidential power in the waning days of his leadership, and that the new U.S. president may not be as strict of an enforcer in the Syrian civil war. Russia is combating Syrian forces in hopes that they will overtake eastern Aleppo and put the Kremlin army in a better position to control the battle.

Interestingly, Syria has not been a hotly-debated topic at the recent Presidential Debates, so perhaps Putin's strategy is realistic. Hillary Clinton has already stated that she would increase United States military presence in Syria, so now could be the best time for Russia to increase their military presence. Furthermore, for the United States, the timing of this incident could not be worse. If Putin is successful, this would lead to an increased military presence in the Middle East, and would lead to a rocky start for any Presidency. Especially since the Obama administration has made it a cornerstone to reduce fighting in the Middle East, and this action could be seen as the weakness of the President in his final days in office.


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/05/world/middleeast/syria-russia-us-election.html?ref=world&_r=0