Head Alexander Institute Markku Kivinen (Markku Kivinen) believes that U.S. air strikes on Syria are both domestic and foreign policy reasons.
The seventh of April, the world awoke to a new reality. US launched air strike against the troops of Bashar al-Assad (Bashar al-Assad). This was the first direct military intervention of America in the course of the Syrian conflict. The US Navy destroyed 59 cruise missiles “Tomahawk” the Syrian air base at Shayrat.
The US has long openly opposed Assad and demanded his removal. The situation is complicated by the fact that Russia has supported the Assad administration. The US said that they had warned Russia about the missile strike, but did not ask Moscow’s permission.
The administration of U.S. President Donald trump (Donald Trump) called the attacks a response to the chemical attack in Syria on 4 April. According to the US, Assad’s troops used chemical weapons against Syrian citizens. Syria and Russia have denied this statement.
Director the Alexander Institute at the University of Helsinki’s Professor Markku Kivinen (Markku Kivinen) believes that to commit an air strike by the US has affected both domestic and foreign policy reasons.
“The reason for the situation in General. The weak steps of the trump at the beginning of the presidential term and ties with Russia demanded action of a different order. What is happening is influenced by the actions of another party,” says Kivinen, referring to the gas attack earlier in the week.
Similar to Putin’s actions
According to Markku Kivinen, to separate the actions of the US affected by domestic political factors. Overall, however, the Syrian situation and missile strikes USA associated with the traditional division of spheres of interests between the superpowers.
Kivinen said that superpowers Syria — a convenient “Playground” because the risk of their own losses here is pretty low. Actually we are talking about serious things. Countries compete among themselves at the expense of the local population.
“The number of victims small, the victims among the local population a lot. Don’t send your troops in large numbers. This is similar to the actions of Vladimir Putin in Syria.”
Russia became a participant of the war in Syria in the fall of 2015. The country has justified its steps using the legitimate President of the country in his official request. Kivinen said that the activities of the United States, and the activities of Russia, began with the use of air forces and cruise missiles.
“Not carrying his own losses, can affect the balance of power in the region from afar. The struggle for power is complicated by the fact that the situation in Syria is so complicated. There are different powers, and none of them can say where the bad, and good.”
Course trump has changed
Already during his election campaign, trump talked about the fact that the United States should focus on destroying ISIS (a terrorist organization banned in Russia — approx. TRANS.). The solution to the confusing situation in Syria does not fit into the strategy of trump’s “America first”.
Kivinen asks the question of whether a change of course trump against Syria to be bound by the dismissal of trump’s Advisor on national security issues Michael Flynn (as Michael Flynn) because of the strange relations with Russia. Chief strategist trump Stephen Bannon (Stephen Bannon) left the national security Council in early April.
“Whether they have a Pro line that is changing now? It’s hard to say. Also it remains to be seen how well trump understands the situation. How long he will be able to make decisions impulsively?”
Russia is very well suited old line of trump. As trump and Putin talked a lot about that country’s fight against terrorism together. The election trump, according to Kivinen, forced Russia to believe that she will be able to solve the situation in Syria with the help of Turkey and Iran.
Russia believes ISIS, and all the rebel forces of Syria by terrorists. It has announced that it is in Syria, “combating terrorism”, but according to organizations fighting for human rights and the Supervisory bodies, the air strikes Russia were not to LIH, in the first place by the rebel troops.
Sharp criticism from Russia
Russia has condemned the missile strikes USA. President Vladimir Putin believes that in this case we are talking about aggression against a sovereign state and violation of international law.
According to Putin, this step trump caused considerable damage to Russian-American relations and could disrupt the plans of the joint fight against terrorism.
In Russia the election trump for President considered a great victory. Condemn the West, Russia was glad that during the election campaign, trump said about the possibility of changing policy in relation to Russia.
“Then the US started to understand, did Russia influence the election results. The Russians rubbed their hands. Russia was glad that she was recognized on the political scene of large-scale military force and involved in the internal political Affairs of the United States,” says Kivinen.
In his opinion, the fact that trump is now so sharply criticizes Russia, means that the “honeymoon” in relations between the countries left behind.
“Now we wait, as will the relations between Russia and the United States. If the situation wants to improve, it will require great skill and understanding of the situation by both parties. Now this is harder to achieve than before.”
