The Russian Military Intervention in Syria

The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, saw its complexities intensify as various states' interests converged, culminating in Russia's military intervention in 2015. The book intricately explores this event alongside other significant geopolitical shifts, suggesting that Russia's actions were a response to what it perceived as a series of Western oversights. Key incidents highlighted include interventions in Serbia and Kosovo without UN Security Council approval, the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq without Putin's consultation, and the integration of Baltic countries into Western blocs, coupled with NATO's expansionist policies. These developments are depicted as being dismissive of Russia's security interests, thus prompting its military interventions in Crimea in 2014 and Syria in 2015. Geukjian's analysis in the book seeks to unravel the complex motivations behind Russia's assertive foreign policy maneuvers during these pivotal moments.