Jolly bombing weather RUSSIA’S behavior in Syria resembles the fable of the scorpion who promises not to sting the frog that carries him across the river, but does so anyway—because it is his nature. The list of foreign powers stung by Russia continues to grow. This week Turkey protested after Russian fighters intruded into its airspace, drawing a rare admission of error from the Kremlin. The two countries’ relations are deteriorating as the Russian presence frustrates Turkey’s goal of toppling the regime of Bashar al-Assad. One might surmise that Vladimir Putin’s deployment of Russian forces in Syria is simply the latest in a series of provocations designed to irritate every Western-aligned country possible.
Curiously, Russian observers say the real goal is the opposite: not to alienate the West but to force America to recognize Russia as an equal partner, thereby overcoming the isolation caused by the war in Ukraine. The fight against Islamic State (IS) is intended to forge common ground between Russia and America. “This is an attempt to turn the page and achieve reconciliation with the West not by crawling to it on…
