attribution www.kremlin.ru

Russia’s Increasing Stalemate in Southwest Syria

19 November 2020

The town and province of Daraa in southwest Syria is known for being a “cradle of the Syrian revolution”. Six years after the start of the Syrian uprising, it has been included in one of the four de-escalation zones that Russia established in Syria striking deals between different opposition armed groups and Damascus, with the consent of external actors. The southwest de-escalation zone is comprised of three provinces – Daraa, al-Suwaida, and al-Quneitra – whose proximity to Israel has been a crucial factor in Moscow’s strategy in the region.

The southwest Syria de-escalation zone has several peculiarities that make it distinct from the other zones, in particular its geography, i.e. its proximity to Israel, which has defined Russia’s very special and nuanced approach to it. At the same time, the Russian approach to dealing with the armed opposition groups within the zone was similar to the groups in other de-escalation zones. So, what makes Russia’s approach different?

 

The ideas expressed are those of the author not the publisher or the author’s affiliation

Published in October 2020

All rights reserved to GCSP

Part of the Syria Transition Challenges Project 

Related Course

Related Event

Priorities, opportunities and challenges for NATO in the aftermath of The Hague Summit
23 October 2025 12h30-14h00
GCSP Alumni Networking Night (GANN) 2025
06 November 2025