{"id":585808,"date":"2023-08-05T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-05T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/under-pressure-in-ukraine-putin-lashes-out-at-us-in-syria\/"},"modified":"2023-08-05T22:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-05T19:00:00","slug":"under-pressure-in-ukraine-putin-lashes-out-at-us-in-syria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/under-pressure-in-ukraine-putin-lashes-out-at-us-in-syria\/","title":{"rendered":"#Under pressure in Ukraine, Putin lashes out at US in Syria"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/russian-air-strike_062523getty_syria.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Dangerous confrontations between Russia and the United States in the skies over Syria point to an escalating shadow war as Russian President Vladimir Putin suffers more losses in Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Experts warn that Putin is looking to strike against the U.S. for supporting Ukraine in its defensive war, with Moscow focusing its retaliatory actions in the Middle East to avoid a wider conflict with NATO in Europe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cWe have seen, clearly since at least March of this year, a clear escalation of tensions, driven largely by Russian provocations of the U.S. in Syria,\u201d said Mona Yacoubian, vice president of the U.S. Institute of Peace\u2019s Middle East and North Africa center.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThose heightened tensions derive directly from the war in Ukraine, where I think the Russians are looking to stick a finger in the U.S. eye, provoke the U.S. to the extent that they can, in a place that\u2019s a bit removed from the Ukraine conflict arena itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian forces are slowly regaining territory that Russia captured when it launched its full-scale invasion against the country in February 2022. In an effort to ramp up pressure on Ukraine\u2019s backers, Russia has abandoned a deal that allowed for the export of grain from Ukraine\u2019s ports and increased attacks on Ukrainian civilian and agricultural infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>Putin has often framed his war of aggression against Ukraine as a defensive war against the West, and lashed out at the U.S. for its tens of billions of aide to Kyiv in military equipment and economic support.<\/p>\n<p>Now his frustration is translating into dangerous confrontations with the U.S. in Syria.<\/p>\n<p>In back-to-back incidents at the end of July, Russian warplanes fired flares that reportedly damaged two U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones \u2014 weaponized, unmanned aircrafts that cost more than $30 million each.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>This followed what the Pentagon said were four other instances last month of Russian aircraft dangerously crossing over the flight path of American warplanes in Syria\u2019s skies.<\/p>\n<p>In a similar incident in March, a Russian jet clipped the wing of an American Reaper drone above the Black Sea, causing it to crash in a move that the Biden administration called \u201cunsafe and unprofessional.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, during a press conference in Australia late last month, issued a warning against Putin to rein in his air force.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cWe call upon the Russian leadership to make sure that they issue guidance to their troops to abide by the laws of the sky and make sure that they cease this irresponsible behavior,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll continue to engage using the established channels to convey our concern, and we\u2019ll continue to engage senior leadership, as <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Putin has said publicly he does not seek a direct clash with U.S. forces in Syria, and his military officials have put the blame on American forces for provocations.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cWe are always ready for any scenario, but no one wants this,\u201d Putin was <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/tass.com\/politics\/1654191\">quoted as saying<\/a> July 30 by the Russian, state-owned <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> agency TASS.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur heads of certain departments communicate directly with each other, have the opportunity to consult on any crisis situation. This shows that no one wants clashes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>About 900 American forces are deployed in northeast Syria conducting counterterrorism operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and alongside Kurdish forces, called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>The SDF controls a region that is semi-autonomous from Syria\u2019s embattled leader Bashar Assad, who has the backing of Moscow.<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, the U.S. and Russia agreed on a set of guidelines establishing safety in Syria\u2019s skies and setting up a direct line of communication to avoid confrontations and conflict, in particular among warplanes \u2014 the so-called deconfliction hotline.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is in our collective interests to keep the autonomous administration in northeast Syria secure and stable,\u201d Sinam Mohamad, head of mission at the Syrian Democratic Council to the U.S., told The Hill in a statement.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe SDF continues to fight ISIS in the region. We hope that the coordination between both Russian and American [militaries] continues to keep the stability and security of the region in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> and northeast Syria in particular.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But some experts say the Biden administration is exercising too much restraint in Syria and other areas where the U.S. confronts Russia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe certainly could do it back at them, but we don\u2019t,\u201d said Mary Beth Long, who served as assistant secretary of Defense during the George W. Bush administration.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cWhat really happens is, you issue orders to your pilots and NATO folks, to basically be careful and do everything possible not to allow them to provoke you, because they want an incident in order to have an excuse to escalate,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo what we really do, although we don\u2019t admit it, is we put our airmen and our sailors at higher risk, because they basically have to absorb these things. It\u2019s a safety issue, it\u2019s an emotional issue. It\u2019s tough on these guys.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Anna Borshchevskaya, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute, described Russia\u2019s actions in Syria as \u201ca serious escalation,\u201d and the U.S. response as \u201censuring that we can protect ourselves, issuing stern protests and a call for Russia to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Borshchevskaya said she wants to see the U.S. carry out a response that goes farther in pushing back against the Russians.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn terms of what specifically needs to be done, that thus far remains unclear. In my view, until Russia pays a cost for this escalation, they are not going to stop,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can see how when costs are not imposed on Russia for escalatory behavior in one theater, they eventually up the ante and do that in another theater. And Ukraine and Syria are two primary spots of, what we would call, great power competition between Russia and the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, she said the U.S. could look to send a more robust military signal and would be justified in acting out of self-defense.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom military terms, when you think of rules of engagement, if you act in an unprofessional manner and if you don\u2019t heed warnings, sometimes you can act in self-defense and that does not lead to war.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She pointed to a 2018 incident in Syria where U.S. forces engaged in a firefight against soldiers from the Russian private military group Wagner, which was attacking American positions alongside Syrian forces supporting Assad.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Pentagon reportedly <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/05\/24\/world\/middleeast\/american-commandos-russian-mercenaries-syria.html\">said at the time<\/a> that the U.S. was acting in self-defense, after calls for their Russian counterparts to call off the assault \u2014 which were made through the deconfliction line \u2014 failed to succeed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The firefight reportedly lasted four hours, with hundreds of Wagner mercenaries and Syrian soldiers killed. No Americans were killed or wounded.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt didn\u2019t lead to a war with Russia,\u201d Borshchevskaya said.<\/p>\n<p>But Russian officials denied at that time they exercised any control or influence over Wagner, playing down conflict with the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA direct military response to Russian forces carries greater risk, and it is understandable that the U.S. is being careful in its public messaging,\u201d Borshchevskaya added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStill, a military response, carried out in a careful and creative way, could send a message to Moscow that the U.S. is willing to impose costs on Russia for its reckless behavior, and serve as a more effective deterrent against future escalation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yacoubian, of the U.S. Institute of Peace, said an important signal to Russia from the U.S. is its commitment to partnering with the SDF and conducting counter-ISIS missions in Syria. She also pointed to recent U.S. deployments of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and F-22 fighter jets to the Syrian theater that arrived in May and June, respectively.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think what we\u2019re seeing by the U.S. is an effort to signal the Russians not so much with forces on the ground, but with military equipment being sent into Syria,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cContinuing to signal through our partnership on the ground with the Syrian Democratic Forces, that we are here to stay, I think that\u2019s perhaps the most important thing we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yacoubian added that Russia is weakened because of its nearly 18-month war in Ukraine, but that doesn\u2019t lessen the danger it poses across the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the Russians are looking to cause problems and dilemmas for the U.S. wherever they can, understanding they have limited ability to do that,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re lashing out. How successful they can be is a whole other question. So, this is a weak Russia, but a dangerous Russia as a result of its weakness.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2023 Nexstar <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Media<\/a> Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/international\/4138170-under-pressure-in-ukraine-putin-lashes-out-at-us-in-syria\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dangerous confrontations between Russia and the United States in the skies over Syria point to an escalating shadow war as Russian President Vladimir Putin suffers more losses in Ukraine.\u00a0 Experts warn that Putin is looking to strike against the U.S. for supporting Ukraine in its defensive war, with Moscow focusing its retaliatory actions in the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":585809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/russian-air-strike_062523getty_syria.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[134417,134343,134418,134353,124783,128582,70989,134904,144879,4965,73234],"class_list":["post-585808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-blog-briefing-room","tag-campaign","tag-congress-blog","tag-court-battles","tag-international","tag-lloyd-austin","tag-mental-health","tag-russia-ukraine-war","tag-syria-civil-war","tag-technology","tag-vladimir-putin"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=585808"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585808\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/585809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=585808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=585808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=585808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}