It certainly appears that in Syria, Russia and Iran, on one hand, and Western countries and Saudi Arabia, on the other, are fighting through proxy combatants, as was once the case in Spain between Germany and the Soviet Union. But in the case of Syria, the rivalries between Sunnis and Shiites in general, then between Arabs and Kurds, and finally between the latter and the Turks, only complicate matters in a region where lies and betrayal run in the bloodline!

But what a disappointment for the United States, Europe and the UN, which have since 2012 desperately tried to find an alternative to the power in place among the confetti of rebels who cannot agree on a credible power change. For this lack of cohesion among the opponents of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the rebels have paid and continue to pay dearly. Beyond the tragic losses and destruction for which the power in Damascus and the rebels bear a heavy responsibility, the great ideological disparity among the opponents, which run the gamut from a radical Islamist majority to moderate rebels scattered across the Syrian territory, has only provoked skepticism in Westerners who have developed over time an increasing reluctance to deliver the weapons they sorely need. Faced with the dramatic prospects of a repeat Iraqi or Libyan scenario, the international community has opted for multilateral diplomacy that has yet to bear its fruits.

A situation that has spurred Russia to take up position, thus multiplying many times over the firepower of the Damascus regime, to the chagrin of the Syrian population present on the fighting ground and the hundreds of thousands of refugees who, year on year, lose sight of any prospect of returning to their country.