The U.S. and Russia have never been on the same page when it comes to foreign relations. When they try to collaborate, it’s more or less an awkward handshake between Obama and Putin; the tension is palpable.
This does not exactly translate well when it comes to dealing with Syria. Last month, Russia planned out a bombing campaign. Its rationale was the need to stop Islamic State jihadists from entering the country, which has a large Muslim population.
When the U.S. and its allies discovered Russia’s plans, they slammed Russia’s intervention in Syria, with the point that Moscow was also targeting Western-backed moderate rebels and supporting the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Putin has come forward in response to these criticisms, expressing his frustrations with Russia’s Western allies.
“I believe some of our partners simply have mush for brains,” Putin said at a press conference.
Putin went on to say that Russia doesn’t see a difference between ISIS opposition and Sunni rebels. Therefore, many groups besides ISIS are potentially in serious danger as well.
Putin’s old-world policies may backfire on him when it comes to gaining support from Russia’s allies. Although it’s true that the U.S. military beats around the bush and is generally inefficient, Russia’s spastic bomb-everything-in-sight initiative is irresponsible at best.
Because Russia neighbors Syria to the south, it’s possible that the country is trying to benefit from the fallout of this war on ISIS. After the smoke clears and Syria is relatively empty due to mass exodus and death, it’s very possible for Russia to incorporate the territory into the massive state. Even though Russia and the U.S. now have a common enemy, it still looks like the two nations struggle with overcoming their differences.