Vladimir Putin forces the US to listen, but offers no solutions

President of Russia Vladimir Putin Picture: Getty
Analysis: By calling for a grand alliance against Isil, the Russian leader ignores the fact that one already exists and has been in action for over a year


There is a certain irony about President Vladimir Putin calling for a grand alliance against the terrorists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).

President Putin holds up a glass during a toast at a luncheon hosted by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon AP/Andrew Harnik

At this moment, the armed forces of an array of countries are struggling against Isil, whether in Syria or Iraq. This military effort draws together some unlikely bedfellows – America and Iran, for example – along with Kurdish and Shia militias, and far-flung nations ranging from Australia to Jordan and from Saudi Arabia to Belgium.
• Russia calls for alliance against Isil at UN: live

A notable absentee from that list is Russia. There are only a handful of powerful air forces which have not dropped a single bomb on any Isil target anywhere – and Mr Putin commands one of them. Yet he used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Monday to urge a “broad international coalition against terrorism”.

In truth, this coalition has been in action for at least a year. There are good reasons to doubt its effectiveness and question its strategy. But Mr Putin’s gripe is not that the alliance is doing badly; instead, his objection is that America is in charge and Russia’s only reliable satrap in the Arab world, Bashar al-Assad of Syria, is still excluded.

When Mr Putin calls for a “broad international coalition against terrorism”, what he means is that he should be co-leader of the campaign against Isil. And what he wants is to ensure this effort serves Russian interests by strengthening Assad’s grip on power.

A man looks at television screens in an electronics shop in Moscow as Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly AP/Pavel Golovkin

So Mr Putin’s address to the UN amounted to his bid to restore Russian influence over the key theatre of conflict in the Middle East.

In fairness, his military expedition to Syria has given him the means to shape the course of events on the ground. While the Western powers have agonised over whether to intervene, Mr Putin has simply gone ahead and done it.

A modest deployment of 28 Russian jet fighters and a maximum of 2,000 troops haseffectively guaranteed Assad against being overthrown. Most importantly, the presence of this Russian force ensures that nothing significant will change in Syria unless Mr Putin agrees.

The first dividend was his meeting with President Barack Obama in New York on Monday. For most of the last two years, Mr Obama has limited his contact with Mr Putin to occasional phone calls. By demonstrating his willingness to use military muscle in Syria, the Russian leader has forced America to listen to him.

(L-R) U.S. President Barack Obama, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Russian President Vladimir Putin sit together during a luncheon hosted by Ki-moon during the 70th annual UN General Assembly Getty

Mr Putin’s only proposal is to help Assad subdue Syria by the use of unlimited violence. The fact that this is both amoral and counterproductive matters little. For him, the assertion of Russian influence and the pretence of equality with America are ends in themselves.