Russia Wends Its Way Toward an Exit in Syria

A Russian Su-25 ground attack aircraft lands at an airbase in Russia's Krasnodar region as part of Russia's withdrawal of armed forces from Syria.

(SERGEI VENYAVSKY/AFP/Getty Images)

Despite Russia's apparent advantages in Syria, the flaws in its exit plan are starting to show.

Since it first entered the conflict in 2015, Russia has changed the course of the Syrian civil war. The country managed, along with Iran, to turn the tides of battle back in the Syrian government's favor. And now that it has, it is looking for a way off the battlefield . Moscow doesn't want to be stuck in the Syrian conflict, but neither does it want to lose gains it has made there in solidifying its presence in the country and establishing itself as a critical influence in the region. To that end, Russia has advocated a divide and conquer strategy with its Iranian and Syrian allies. First, it will draw down the rebellion against the Syrian government by offering the rebels and their backers "de-escalation zones" to freeze key sectors of the battlefield.