BEFORE UKRAINE: 4/4: Putin's War in Syria: Russian Foreign Policy and the Price of America's Absence by Anna Borshchevskaya
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 24 July 2023
⏱️ 12 minutes
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BEFORE UKRAINE: 4/4: Putin's War in Syria: Russian Foreign Policy and the Price of America's Absence by Anna Borshchevskaya
https://www.amazon.com/Putins-War-Syria-Russian-Americas/dp/0755634632/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3TR9QZFZUPFIN&keywords=putin%27s+war+in+syria&qid=1662137728&s=books&sprefix=putin%27s+war+in+syria%2Cstripbooks%2C61&sr=1-1
Putin intervened in Syria in September 2015, with international critics predicting that Russia would overextend itself and Barack Obama suggesting the country would find itself in a “quagmire” in Syria. Contrary to this, Anna Borshchevskaya argues that in fact Putin achieved significant key domestic and foreign policy objectives without crippling costs, and is well-positioned to direct Syria's future and become a leading power in the Middle East.
This outcome has serious implications for Western foreign policy interests both in the Middle East and beyond. This book places Russian intervention in Syria in this broader context, exploring Putin's overall approach to the Middle East – historically Moscow has a special relationship with Damascus – and traces the political, diplomatic, military and domestic aspects of this intervention. Borshchevskaya delves into the Russian military campaign, public opinion within Russia, as well as Russian diplomatic tactics at the United Nations. Crucially, this book illustrates the impact of Western absence in Syria, particularly US absence, and what the role of the West is, and could be, in the Middle East.
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| 0:30.0 | This is CBSI in the world. I'm John Batsuo with Anabar Chapskaya. |
| 0:39.0 | Putin's war in Syria, Russian foreign policy and the price of America's absence or new book. |
| 0:44.0 | It is incredibly deep and careful reporting. |
| 0:47.0 | I have done what I can in this conversation to touch on revelations that are important to understand where we are now, |
| 0:56.0 | given that the Kremlin has no intention of leaving Syria. |
| 1:00.0 | The Kremlin has no intention of leaving the Middle East. |
| 1:03.0 | This is a battleground with the Western powers, especially with the United States. |
| 1:09.0 | So, Anna comes to the conclusion so far in 2021, 2022, 2023 going forward. |
| 1:17.0 | The first observation is that the Trump administration was indifferent or uncarrying |
| 1:25.0 | because the president was about Syria. |
| 1:28.0 | Did Putin take advantage of that, Anna? |
| 1:31.0 | Or was that a surprise that the US turned to other concerns during Mr. Trump's time? |
| 1:37.0 | Well, so there was a difference. |
| 1:39.0 | There was a slight difference between how Trump himself looked at Syria and he called it, |
| 1:45.0 | I think, the land of blood and sand and how Syria administration had approached Syria. |
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