Protests against President Bashar Assad's administration in 2011 swiftly developed into a full-fledged conflict. On the one side, the Assad regime was backed by Russia and Iran, while anti-government forces were funded by the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and others in the area.

The Syrian Curse 

Russian Intervention 

Since the beginning of its intervention in Syria in September 2015, Russia has sought to keep its most faithful Arab partner, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a position of power notwithstanding the domestic and international pressure. 

With its hegemonic demeanour, Russia has also tried to regain the regional and global influence it lost since the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russia has sensed an opportunity to recalibrate the Arabian political landscape wildly when the European Union is behaving like a headless chicken, and the US is in a state of confusion under the leadership of a narcissistic leader who is without vision and understanding. 

Vladimir Putin has sought to use the turmoil in the Middle East to re-establish its authority in the strife-torn area where it once enjoyed considerable influence.

Incidentally, Syria was the last citadel of the Russian armed forces(Navy) before the start of the conflict and underlined the Russian urgency to safeguard the outpost. 

Russia has also tested the vulnerabilities of democratic societies, lacking the appetite to stand for justice and valuing monetary gains rather than humanitarian values despite high-decibel rhetoric. 

Within Syria

On the other hand, Mr Assad is a ruthless dictator with no respect for international laws or human life. He built a military strategy designed to inflict the most significant possible damage on his political enemies, including his people who rose against him during the famous Arab Spring that uprooted a few dynasties in the Middle East.

The President didn't blink in using poison gas and chemical attacks (alleged) on unarmed civilians, even targeting clinics, colleges, and kindergartens. In his efforts to quell the revolt and crush the interference of (Saudi, Turkish, etc.) backed militias, over half a million people have died. 

Meanwhile, Russia has provided him with the airpower without which Mr Assad would not have been able to carry out his plan and recapture the lost territory. 

Foreign Players

There were multiple players in Syria, to begin with, and some of them have been wiped out(Sunni militias like ISIS). 

Others are cheated and have lost relevance, like the Kurds who fought for independent Kurdistan. They were backstabbed due to incoherent US policies(not surprising). However, Iranians benefit from President Assad's continuation in office while Israelis haven't lost. 

Imploding Humanitarian Crisis 

Syrian civil society and international human rights groups have repeatedly detected the systematic targeting of civilians and basic civilian infrastructure. But to no avail.

As Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council, it has regularly used its veto—14 times since the outbreak of the Syrian war. It is alleged that Russia used Veto power to block transparency measures and thus shield the regime from accountability.

With half a million Syrians dead and over 6 million turned into refugees, the world's collective consciousness has not yet jolted to come out of its slumber and take a decisive stand against the tyranny. 

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