War in Syria – The defeat of Bashar al-Assad will force Putin to make peace with Ukraine – UNIAN
Without a naval base in Tartus, Russia may lose influence in Africa and the Middle East.
If Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria falls as a result of a rebel offensive, Russia will lose its only military base in the Mediterranean. This could have dramatic consequences for Russian efforts in Ukraine, writes The Telegraph military columnist David Ax.
He noted that the rebels had already captured the country's largest city, Aleppo, and were approaching the important city of Hama. If anti-government forces are able to capture Hama, they will have the prospect of an offensive towards the Mediterranean coast – towards the Latakia region, where the only base of the Russian fleet on the Mediterranean Sea is located in the port city of Tartus.
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