Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place in Syria

{
  "authors": [
    "Matthew Rojansky"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "russia",
  "programs": [
    "Russia and Eurasia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Middle East",
    "Syria",
    "Caucasus",
    "Russia"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Policy"
  ]
}

In The Media

Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place in Syria

As the civilian death toll continues to mount in Syria, Russia finds itself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

By Matthew Rojansky

Published on Jun 1, 2012

Source: BBC World News

In an interview with BBC World News, Carnegie’s Matthew Rojansky argued that “the Russians are really stuck between a rock and a hard place” as violence continues to mount in Syria. Rojansky noted that the Russian leadership is having difficulty reconciling its principled position against international intervention and its support for Bashar al-Assad’s regime as the death toll grows.

While Russia supports the Annan peace plan, it believes in pressuring both the government and the opposition to lay down their arms. Meanwhile, regime change is still “off the table” because “Russia has major incentives to keep Assad in power.” If Moscow threatens to abandon Assad, it will quickly lose its leverage in Damascus and appear to capitulate to the West, Rojansky concluded.

About the Author

Matthew Rojansky

Former Deputy Director, Russia and Eurasia Program

Rojansky, formerly executive director of the Partnership for a Secure America, is an expert on U.S. and Russian national security and nuclear-weapon policies.

Recent Work

Paper
An Opportunity for Ambition: Ukraine’s OSCE Chairmanship
- Matthew Rojansky
In The Media
Presiding Over the OSCE: Challenges and Opportunities
- Matthew Rojansky

Foreign Policy Middle East Syria Caucasus Russia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Commentary
Southeast Asia’s Agency Amid the New Oil Crisis
There is no better time for the countries of Southeast Asia to reconsider their energy security than during this latest crisis.
Gita Wirjawan
Commentary
Fuel Crisis Forces Politically Perilous Trade-Offs in Indonesia
As conflict in the Middle East drives up fuel costs across Asia, Indonesia faces difficult policy trade-offs over subsidies, inflation, and fiscal credibility. President Prabowo’s personalized governance style may make these hard choices even harder to navigate.
Sana Jaffrey
Commentary
Europe Doesn’t Like War—for Good Reasons
The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are existential threats to Europe as a peace project. Leaders and citizens alike must reaffirm their solidarity to face up to today’s multifaceted challenges.
Marc Pierini
Commentary
Emissary
In Its Iran War Debate, Washington Has Lost the Plot in Asia
The United States ignores the region’s lived experience—and the tough political and social trade-offs the war has produced—at its peril.
Evan A. Feigenbaum
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Blocking of Telegram App Sparks Rare Public Rift Among Russia’s Elites
The prospect of a total block on Russia’s most popular messaging app has sparked disagreement between the regime’s political managers and its security agencies.
Andrey Pertsev

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Commentary

Southeast Asia’s Agency Amid the New Oil Crisis

There is no better time for the countries of Southeast Asia to reconsider their energy security than during this latest crisis.

Gita Wirjawan

Commentary

Fuel Crisis Forces Politically Perilous Trade-Offs in Indonesia

As conflict in the Middle East drives up fuel costs across Asia, Indonesia faces difficult policy trade-offs over subsidies, inflation, and fiscal credibility. President Prabowo’s personalized governance style may make these hard choices even harder to navigate.

Sana Jaffrey

Commentary

Europe Doesn’t Like War—for Good Reasons

The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are existential threats to Europe as a peace project. Leaders and citizens alike must reaffirm their solidarity to face up to today’s multifaceted challenges.

Marc Pierini

Commentary

Emissary

In Its Iran War Debate, Washington Has Lost the Plot in Asia

The United States ignores the region’s lived experience—and the tough political and social trade-offs the war has produced—at its peril.

Evan A. Feigenbaum

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Blocking of Telegram App Sparks Rare Public Rift Among Russia’s Elites

The prospect of a total block on Russia’s most popular messaging app has sparked disagreement between the regime’s political managers and its security agencies.

Andrey Pertsev