Dansk institut for internationale studier skriver:
On September 29 Russia started launching airstrikes in Syria after a quick military build-up in Latakia and Tartous.
According to Russia the main purpose is to fight the Islamic State, but at the same time, rebel positions in Aleppo and Hama have also been targeted, and lately Iranian ground forces and Shia militias have been deployed in Aleppo.
Putin has made no secret of the fact that the intervention is also a means to support the weakened Assad regime and save the Syrian state from collapse.
The US appears so far to exercise restraint. The Obama Administration has condemned the targeting of rebel groups and provided some groups with new weapons, but also stressed that it has no interest in a proxy war with Russia.
At the same time, regional allies are stepping up their military aid to rebel groups. Turkey, a NATO member, is once again calling for a no-fly zone, and some regional powers are suggesting that they might provide air cover to the rebels fighting the Assad regime.
Russia’s intervention, in short, has changed the battle lines and elevated the war to an international conflict.
- What will the implications be?
- Will Russia’s intervention intensify tensions with the West, or may the West end up combatting the Islamic State together with Russia and find a common political solution to the Syrian war?
- Will regional powers be willing to accept, such as negotiated, the solution and how are they to be included in a grand power sharing deal?
- How may NATO respond if Turkey’s airspace is breached once again, and to a heightened conflict with Russia in general?
To debate these issues, DIIS has gathered experts on Russia, NATO, Syria and the US for a morning discussion on possible responses and implications of Russia’s military intervention.
Speakers
- Kristian Søby Kristensen, Senior Researcher, University of Copenhagen
- Helle Malmvig, Senior Researcher, DIIS
- Flemming Splidsboel, Senior Researcher, DIIS
- Vibeke Schou Tjalve, Senior Researcher, DIIS
Programme
09.15-09.20: Welcome. Helle Malmvig, Senior Researcher, DIIS
09.20-09.30: Russia and the Syrian crisis: The final phase. Flemming Splidsboel, Senior Researcher, DIIS
09.30-09.40: The US in a tight spot: Between strategic patience and political paralysis. Vibeke Schou Tjalve, Senior Researcher, DIIS
09.40-09.50: A new Russian gamble, a(ny) role for NATO? Kristian Søby Kristensen, Senior Researcher, University of Copenhagen
09.50-10.00: Stepping up or giving in? Regional responses to Russia’s intervention. Helle Malmvig, Senior Researcher, DIIS
10.00-10.45: Q and A
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