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The Unraveling of Putin’s Geopolitical Strategy in the Wake of Assad’s Fall

December 8, 2024 By Opinion.org Leave a Comment

The unexpected collapse of the Assad regime has sent shockwaves across the geopolitical chessboard, with Russia emerging as one of the biggest losers in the aftermath. For over a decade, Syria was a linchpin in Vladimir Putin’s ambitious strategy to project Russian influence beyond its immediate periphery. Through military intervention and unwavering support for Bashar al-Assad, Russia secured its foothold in the Eastern Mediterranean, strengthened its partnership with Iran, and positioned itself as a power broker in Middle Eastern affairs. However, the fall of Assad has dealt a crippling blow to Putin’s carefully constructed regional narrative and has left Moscow scrambling to salvage its position.

Syria was not merely an ally for Russia; it was a platform to showcase its global resurgence. The Russian naval base at Tartus and the airbase at Hmeimim were symbols of Moscow’s strategic reach, while its military operations in Syria were presented domestically as evidence of a restored superpower status. Assad’s reliance on Russian support—diplomatic, military, and financial—cemented the image of Putin as a leader who could tip the scales in global conflicts. Now, with Assad gone, these investments appear precarious. The power vacuum in Damascus has exposed the limits of Russian influence, as opposition factions hostile to Moscow gain ground and Iranian-backed groups struggle to fill the void.

The collapse of Assad’s regime also undermines one of Russia’s most significant narratives: its ability to protect allies against Western-led interventions. Putin repeatedly positioned himself as the antithesis of the U.S., a steadfast partner to regimes like Assad’s that opposed Western dominance. With Assad’s fall, this image has been shattered, eroding Moscow’s credibility with current and potential partners. For countries weighing alliances, Russia now appears less of a guarantor and more of a fading actor in a region increasingly shaped by shifting allegiances and local power struggles.

From an Israeli vantage point, the weakening of Russia’s hand in the region introduces a mixed bag of opportunities and risks. On one hand, Russia’s diminished influence could loosen the grip of the Iran-led axis that relied on Moscow’s cover to expand operations in Syria. On the other, the absence of a stabilizing power like Russia may exacerbate chaos, as various factions and global players jostle for dominance. For Israel, which has maintained a complex but pragmatic relationship with Moscow to ensure operational freedom in Syria, the new reality could necessitate a recalibration of its strategies.

For Putin, the fall of Assad is not just a regional setback but a broader symbolic failure of his geopolitical ambitions. At a time when Russia is already stretched thin by the war in Ukraine and growing isolation from the West, losing its anchor in the Middle East deals a blow to its ability to project power beyond Eurasia. The reverberations will likely echo in other regions where Russia seeks to expand influence, from Africa to Latin America, as rivals exploit Moscow’s moment of vulnerability.

The unraveling of Putin’s Middle Eastern strategy in the wake of Assad’s fall is a stark reminder of the volatility of alliances rooted in authoritarian regimes and military interventions. While Russia may attempt to regroup and reassert itself in the region, its once-vaunted status as a decisive player in Middle Eastern geopolitics now seems irreparably diminished. For the Kremlin, this moment signals not just a tactical defeat but a profound challenge to its vision of Russian dominance in a multipolar world.

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