Washington Times: In and Out, Vladimir Putin’s Masterful Syria Ploy Vladimir Putin stunned the West with his announcement this week that Russia was removing the bulk of its expeditionary force fighting in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad in that country’s civil war. However, if you look at the development from the perspective of Moscow’s national interest, the removal of Russia’s air assets makes perfect sense. Mr. Putin’s decision is perfectly aligned with Kremlin’s geopolitical goal of regaining influence on the world stage…
