title: Russian foreign policy in the early Syrian conflict
abstract: The chapter argues that in order to understand the formation of Russian foreign policy towards Syria since 2011, two blocks of factors should be analysed. First, the foundation of such policies lies in the historical relationship between the two countries. Second, a number of factors related to Russia’s recent domestic socio-economic and political situation, as well as foreign policy goals, should be seen as crucial in their development. The chapter argues that during the first years following t