On Monday, Russia indicated that it would not sign new weapons contracts with Syria until the bloody situation is resolved. This marks a new step in Russia's foreign policy, whereby they have agreed not to be complete assholes and foster a brutal totalitarian regime.
"While the situation in Syria is unstable," Vyacheslave Dzirkaln, deputy chief of the Russian military and technical cooperation agency, said, "there will be no new deliveries of arms there."
Commentators have called this Russia's strongest move to distance itself from Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. While that might be true, considering the extent of the business-casual relationship that resulted in nearly $4 billion in arms contracts. Rosoboron export, Russia's monopoly exporter, has reportedly sold fighter jets, air defense systems and helicopters to Assad's military.
So here's the deal, and here's why I think this statement amounts to white-noise: Dzirkaln, the same guy who said "there will be no new deliveries" also said that Russia does not sell helicopters of fighter planes to Syria. But a few weeks ago, after 15 months of violence left an estimated 15,000 dead, came this pearl: "Now we have confirmed reports of not only the use of tanks and artillery but also attack helicopters," said Herve Ladsous, the head of the UN's department of peacekeeping operations. Those helicopters came directly from Russian suppliers. Just two weeks ago, the MV Alaed, a Russian cargo ship, made a second attempt to deliver air defense systems and helicopter gunships. That's right, a second attempt, because the first go-around was foiled.
Let's also remember that Dzirkaln has said that old contracts would be honored. That could mean new fighter jets, helicopters and artillery for Assad. But, no new contracts. That's what's being commended. That’s like congratulating a dog, who repeatedly poops on your Persian rug, for agreeing not to shit on your pillow.
Maybe I shouldn't be so cynical. Maybe Russia has noble plans to join the international community in condemning Assad's brutal and repressive regime. But one has to wonder: why the sudden shift toward humanitarianism? If Moscow was motivated by weapons contracts before, why are those contracts now being sidelined? The central question is, as it always should be, what's in it for Russia?
This is certainly good news for the international community. But I don't think Russia deserves any special commendation.
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