Vladimir Putin has been quiet about Syria since the end of Bashir Assad's rule. During an annual televised meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Russia's top military officials on Monday, Putin was keen to keep the focus firmly on incremental successes in Ukraine. AdvertisementBut he was conspicuously silent about recent events in Syria — where longtime Kremlin ally Bashar Assad was deposed by rebels earlier this month. AdvertisementYet, with Russia's military stretched by its costly war in Ukraine, Putin appeared unwilling or unable to divert forces to save Assad. The collapse of Assad's government could have wider implications for Russia's global military footprint, which might help explain Putin's silence on the matter.

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