Quiet tense Russia-US relations are accompanied now by even more tough rhetoric, after the UN humanitarian convoy was shelled in Syria, and later - the Russian embassy as well. After the shelling of the convoy, the US announced their intention to review the relations with Russia on cooperation in the framework of the Syrian settlement, and then prevented the adoption of the UN Security Council’s statement, condemning the shelling of the Russian Embassy in Syria. The pre-election debates between the candidates for the US vice presidency added fuel to the fire. Thus, the Republican nominee Mike Paynes urged to respond by force on Moscow’s provocations in Syria and place missile defense system to protect against Russia in the Czech Republic and Poland.
A political scientist and editor-in-chief of the cite ‘Russian idea’, an editor of the intellectual investigations portal Terra America, Kirill Benediktov, is convinced that the relations between Moscow and Washington have reached a new level of intensity. Speaking about how the current Syrian crisis may end, Benediktov urged to bear in mind the following: ‘’The US withdrawal from the military agreement with Russia and what is called ‘plutonium ultimatum’ of Russia shift the already tense relations between the two countries to a new level of tension. A question rises- who and why needs it? The only rational answer is that Obama can not afford himself to leave the White house, to finish his second term with an actual defeat. If the Syrian troops backed by the Russian Aerospace Forces seize the biggest part of Aleppo while Obama still sits in the White house, it will be an obvious defeat of the current administration. Over the past two years the administration has done everything possible to be associated with the opponents of Assad, with the allies of a so-called moderate opposition, and a collapse of the moderate opposition would mean a collapse of its efforts.’’
Obama can’t afford himself to leave this way, the expert said. "This will automatically put him on a level with such weak presidents as Jimmy Carter, during the presidency of which America was subjected to a known humiliation, including a hostage-taking. Obama and his administration will raise stakes to avoid such a sad end,’’ Benediktov said.
According to him, a danger lies in the fact that wars could start even when none wants them, but everyone pretends that he is ready for them as before World War I.
‘’I would not like to seem an alarmist, but now the level of the international tension closes to the level, which was during the time of the Cuban missile crisis. In Syria, there are our Aerospace Forces in addition to the troops of Assad, and the coalition forces as well. While the agreement was in force, we could hope that there would be some kind of a division of the influence spheres and areas of responsibility, and there would be no direct clashes. However, even in the framework of the existing agreement, not so long ago there was an attack of the coalition carried out against the Syrian contingent, killing more than 60 soldiers and officers. According to (not very reliable) information of the Iranian media, several Russian special agents were killed. Even if this is so, then assume that, in principle, such a situation can become a reality is not so difficult, ‘’ the expert believes.
Kirill Benediktov
According to him, the weakness of the US position in Syria is that they operate on a foreign territory without an approval of the Government. Russia acts by the official invitation of Damascus, and in the framework of the international law, but the power of the Air Forces of the coalition led by the US surpasses the power of the Russian Aerospace Forces located in the region. " To a certain extend, this military imbalance may serve as a temptation for some hotheads from the Pentagon to show to Russia the true might of the US. It isn’t difficult to guess to what it may lead,’’ Benediktov said.
