The events and developments witnessed in the Syrian arena since mid-2011 evolved into a complex crisis in terms of its dimensions, actors, and repercussions. This crisis became even more complicated when local, regional, and international actors and dimensions became intertwined, turning the Syrian arena into a field for wagering and adventurism aimed at gaining influence and securing interests on the one hand, and settling scores with rivals on the other.
Blatant interventions took various forms, including political and military interventions, as well as direct and indirect involvement in Syria, with different actors supporting one of the Syrian parties. Perhaps the most significant party to have engaged in direct intervention in various forms among the major world powers was Russia, whose presence and influence in the Syrian file became evident from the very beginning through influential political intervention, which soon transformed into direct military intervention in support of the Assad regime.
Intervention, in its general sense, includes all external activities directed toward another state with the aim of controlling, changing, or influencing its policies, political system, and leadership, whether to preserve that system or alter the constitution partially or entirely. The Russian intervention in Syria represents a comprehensive intervention in the developments of the Syrian issue through providing political, economic, and military support to the Assad regime against the Syrian opposition movements.
The Russian intervention in the Syrian arena raises several questions, perhaps the most important of which is: Why did Russia decisively choose to intervene in Syrian affairs to the extent that it became one of the principal actors in the Syrian issue?
In reality, this intervention was based on a set of internal, regional, and international motives that drove the Russian adventure to consolidate its influence in the region. However, at the same time, it faces several challenges and produces various repercussions with differing impacts. All of this should be examined and analyzed in this research in order to understand and comprehend the nature of the Russian intervention in the Syrian issue.
