Vladimir Putin is full of surprises. His decision to withdraw Russia’s “basic forces” from Syria was forecast by no one. The Russian president’s courtiers will presumably be keeping him abreast of the many interpretations of his latest Syria gambit, no doubt emphasising the sagacity and success of his bold intervention in the region. So what does the balance sheet look like? And, in so far as it is possible to discern the motives of this most mercurial of leaders, what are they?
弗拉迪米爾•普丁(Vladimir Putin)是個充滿驚奇的人物。沒人預見到他從敘利亞撤出俄軍「主要力量」的決定。想必這位俄羅斯總統的下屬會時時向他報告人們對他在敘利亞的最新動作的各種解讀,他們無疑還會強調他大膽介入該地區的睿智和成功。那麼現在的局面是怎樣的?如果有可能一窺這位極爲善變的領導人的動機,這些動機又是什麼呢?