MESOP NEWS OVERVIEW : PUTIN “KING OF MIDDLE EAST” NEXT TO ASSAD
| Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, took a whirlwind tour of Egypt, Syria and Turkey, underscoring his country’s more expansive role, and America’s diminished influence, in the Middle East. (Above, Mr. Putin next to Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, at a Russian air base in Syria.) |
| Mr. Putin’s trip also served to show him as a global statesman to a domestic audience, as he embarks on a campaign for another presidential term. He is practically assured victory when that election occurs in March. |
| The real contest, Russian analysts told our correspondent, is the fight to determine who will eventually succeed Mr. Putin. |
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