Vladimir Putin seems to be gaining support in the USA, despite not being warmly covered by the media over the last few years, and Arnold Schwarzenegger was happy to accept the T-shirt.
After Russia's Syrian operation, the American press has granted the Russian President backhanded compliments, comparing him favorably to its own leaders.
"American strategists could learn a thing or two from Russia's in-and-out Syrian war— The Wall Street Journal admits regretfully. It took Mr. Putin just six months to show the world that a modest military input can decisively tilt the balance of power, and that not every Middle East intervention descends into a quagmire".By the way, Russian politicians clarified the sudden reduction of our planes in Syria in these terms:
"If the Syrian authorities, despite necessary domestic policies and propaganda, follow the Russian leadership, they will be able to overcome this crisis with dignity. If they lose their way - again this is my personal opinion - a very difficult situation could arise. But no matter what possibilities the Syrian army has, the Russian Air Force will enable it to outflank its rivals", the Permanent Representative of Russia to the UNO Vitaly Churkin said in an interview in February.Bashar Assad and his team ignored the warning and adopted a defiant attitude at the negotiations: no compromise with the opposition; and no federalization of the country or granting the Kurds a special status enclave.
Only winners can dictate such terms, and this is not how Putin negotiates with his most difficult opponents.
The sudden termination of the Syrian operation was a response to the unfair demand that Russia be flexible. Contrary to the US, we didn't try to obtain total obedience from the Syrian leader as a senior partner, we simply refused to assist him in his civil war. That immediately changed the balance of power and caused the government to come to certain terms with the opposition.
Comment: Putin's brilliant strategy in Syria stands in stark contrast to American exceptionalism and neo-colonialism