Syria Only Russian Ally Even Rhetorically Backing Moscow against Ukraine in Kursk

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Aug. 17 – Russia does not have a lot of friend internationally; but among the handful it does have, only one – Syria – has denounced the Ukrainian advance into Kursk and offered its support to Russia, a reality that some Russian media, internet sites and telegram channels are now calling attention to.

            The EhoRossiya portal has surveyed this lack of reaction and implies that this suggests that even Russia’s supposed friends and allies aren’t ready to take its side, a remarkable demonstration of just how far the Kremlin’s standing has fallen in the world since Putin launched his expanded invasion of Ukraine in 2022 (ehorussia.com/new/node/31453).

            And now that this absence of support is being reported in some of the Russian media, that is likely to have domestic political ramifications as well, with those in the elite whether they favor the war in Ukraine or not increasingly inclined to ask whether Moscow should be offering such “allies” so much aid and concessions if they won’t declare for Russia even in this case.