Russia Plays Familiar Hand in Syria by Nathan Hodge, Wall Street Journal
President Vladimir Putin gambled that he could reverse the collapse of the Syrian regime when he launched his air war last year; now, with a cease-fire deal, he appears closer to saving Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The agreement early Friday to reach a cease-fire in Syria within one week gives Mr. Putin and his allies crucial time to consolidate new gains on the battlefield. In recent days, the Syrian army and allied Shiite militias, backed by Russian air power, have pushed to encircle Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.
Success would allow Mr. Putin to solidify a pro-regime bastion in Syria and deter any near-term effort to force Mr. Assad to step down as a condition of peace talks…