Valdai Club

In return for pressure from Russia on Damascus to make real concessions to end the suffering of Syrians including halting the use of some of its most egregious instruments of war and end strikes on populated areas, the US and Europe could offer to refrain from imposing additional sanctions and to provide waivers for, or suspension of, some existing ones that are likely to deter potent reconstruction investors, whether Russian or from Arab Gulf states, writes Dareen Khalifa, Senior Analyst at the International Crisis Group working on security, conflict, politics, and governance in Syria.

Russia can help the Syrian government crush Idlib, if it so chooses, and if it is willing to absorb the grave cost of victory, including thousands of jihadis scattered across Syria and beyond. If it hopes to spare itself that cost, however, it needs to consider alternatives to a military victory, which would have grave security consequences.