Operating tank and managing political groups are completely different things – Dmitry Solonnikov on Syrian authorities

Speaking with Alpha News, Russian political scientist Dmitry Solonnikov commented on the statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the poor record of the Syrian transitional government and its potential collapse.

“The current Syrian authorities do not give the impression of a truly stable structure. This is a common occurrence. A quick military victory is one thing, but maintaining long-term governance and stability is something entirely different. Driving a tank fast and shooting accurately is one skill, but managing relationships among numerous social and religious groups requires a completely different approach. Therefore, this is an objective fact,” the expert said.

According to Solonnikov, the US considers Israel’s interests in its assessment of Syria and coordinates its decisions accordingly.

The expert believes Rubio’s remarks were directed at external stakeholders in Syria rather than internal players.

“Most likely, this is support for Israel. In the current situation, the possibility of annexing a larger territory coming under at least formal control of Israel, a question arises: how the US will act when withdrawing its troops—whether it will rely on support and relations with the Syrian authorities or not. This is again a message for Turkey, an ally of the US, indicating what actions it should take in northern Syria and what opportunities it may have. Of course, this is a statement of fact and a certain signal to neighbors. It can hardly be a signal to someone inside Syria. It is unlikely that there are any serious groups and serious politicians there now, oriented towards the US, who were given this signal, like, ‘you can start, the revolution can happen,’” Dmitry Solonnikov concluded.