Syria represents Russia’s presence in the Middle East. But does Russia really need Syria? I would argue: no more than China really needs North Korea. Their leaders  are like recalcitrant children (Kim, North Korea) or debauched desperadoes (Bashar, Syria).

You can see that the Chinese are embarrassed by young Kim but don’t quite know how far to go to rein him in. North Korea is clearly within Chinese sphere of influence, whereas the same cannot be said about Syria with Russia. Putin is a dangerous mixture of shrewdness and megalomania. What will he do if the West unites to destroy the Assad regime?

Follow Stephen Covey’s advice: start with the end in mind. What makes sense?

Assad must go; Syria must be reconstructed with, so far as possible, a neutral government which looks neither East nor West.

Let’s see the West and East both contribute financially with the ultimate objective of encouraging Syrian refugees to return home. Everyone will be a winner, Russia included.